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Summer Vegetable Flatbread

Summer Vegetable Flatbread
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  3. Summer Vegetable Flatbread

This Catalan "pizza" (Coca de la Huerta) is traditional fare on the Balearic Islands. Instead of being round like in Italy, it's made in a long, narrow oval shape and baked in a wood-fired oven. Cheese and herbs aren't used here as they are in Italy but instead, coca is topped with either summer's bounty or the cook's leftovers.

Makes 2 coca to serve 8 

Ingredients

Dough
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons plus 1 cup warm water
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Topping
2 cups tightly packed Swiss chard, washed, dried and stems removed
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 small zucchini, unpeeled, sliced paper-thin
1 large green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

Instructions

In a bowl, dissolve the yeast in 2 tablespoons warm water. Let stand 10 minutes until frothy. Add the flour, salt, remaining 1 cup warm water, and the olive oil. Knead on a floured surface until smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky to the touch, about 7 to 10 minutes. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and turn it over so that it is completely coated with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place (75°F). Allow the dough to rise until double in volume, 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.  Pile Swiss chard leaves on top of one another, roll them up, and slice into 1/2-inch strips. In a large frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the Swiss chard and garlic and toss together.  Cover and cook 2 minutes. Remove the cover and continue to cook until the Swiss chard is tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from pan and place in a bowl.  Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to the frying pan, add the zucchini, and cook over medium heat until just done, 4 minutes. Remove and reserve with the Swiss chard. Add the peppers and onions to the pan and cook until tender, 7 to 8 minutes. Add to the other vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Reserve.

After one hour, punch down the dough and cut into 2 pieces. Flour a surface and roll each portion into an oval shape, 3/8-inch thick, 8-inches by 10-inches. Crimp the edges slightly. Place both pieces of dough side by side on a large oiled baking sheet. (See Note if you are using a pizza stone or oven tiles.) Divide the cooked vegetables between the two pieces of dough and distribute evenly, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges. Distribute the tomatoes over the greens. Drizzle with the vinegar. Sprinkle the pine nuts on top and drizzle each with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until golden. (See Note.)

Remove the coca from the pan and cut into wedges. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

Note: Preheat a pizza stone to 400°F. Place one dough on a heavily floured pizza peel or paddle. Proceed with the vegetables. Transfer the coca from the paddle directly onto the stone.  Repeat with the other dough. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until golden.

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