Editor’s note: You can find these recipes and photos on Leslie Dunkin’s Table-Food blog, table-foods.blogspot.com.
Orange-Studded Rye Focaccia
21/2 C. warm water
1 package dry rapid rise yeast
2 tsp. orange zest
1/4cup fresh orange juice (from the orange just used for zest)
1 T. flaxseed meal
2 C. rye flour
31/2 C. unbleached all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. anise seed…slightly ground in mortar and pestle
1/2 tsp. black coarsely ground pepper
3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbs. molasses
Stir together water and yeast. Allow 5 minutes for yeast to soften and bloom.
Stir together the zest, juice and flaxseed, allowing flax to soften.
In a large bowl, combine the flours, salt, anise seed and pepper. Then, make a well in the center of this mixture and add the olive oil and molasses.
Now add orange juice mixture and the yeast and water. Stir together until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl.
Turn dough out onto counter dusted with some additional all-purpose flour. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, adding flour as needed. This could take 1/2 cup to 1 more cup depending upon the moisture in the air…really!
Place dough into an olive oil greased bowl. Turn the ball of dough over so that the top of the dough ball is well greased. Cover with plastic film and then a kitchen towel.
Place in a warm spot in the kitchen and allow the dough to double in size. This could take an hour to an hour and a half, depending upon the warmth of the room.
Deflate the dough and place on a well oiled 12-inch-by-19-inch baking sheet. Flatten the dough, filling most of the baking sheet to form the focaccia loaf shape. (Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.) Allow the focaccia dough to rest for 10 minutes. Press again, and dimple the surface of the dough with the tips of your fingers. Drizzle olive oil over the surface, allowing the oil to puddle in some of the dimples.
Stud the surface of the bread with orange or tangerine slices (peel and all). Cut thin slices crosswise and then half or quarter the slices of orange or tangerine. Place the citrus slices with the fruit flesh down into the dough, with the peel at the surface. Dust the top of the loaf with a few pinches of kosher salt and red pepper flakes. Then cover the loaf’s surface with 1/2 cup of FINELY ground walnuts. (Process the walnuts in the food processor until they are powdery. This is almost like the parmesan layer of other focaccia bread.) Bake loaf at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. The bread should be a light golden brown. Allow to cool slightly and serve with good extra-virgin olive oil for dipping!
Deeply Rooted Winter Soup
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/3 C. chopped onion
1/3 C. chopped green onion
1/3C. chopped celery
2 C. peeled and cubed beet
3 C. cubed potato
1 C. chopped parsley
32 ounces vegetable broth
1 tsp. onion salt
1 tsp. curry powder
1/2tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. ground cumin
2 C. (unflavored) almond milk
In a soup pot or dutch oven, sauté both kinds of onion and celery in the olive oil until slightly softened. Add the rest of the vegetables, including the parsley. Add the broth and cover the pan with the lid. Simmer for an hour until the beets are soft when pierced with fork.
Working in small batches, puree the vegetables in a blender or food processor until they are very smooth. Place the puree back into the original soup pot and add the seasonings and almond milk. Stir well and bring back up to temperature for serving. Garnish with a bit of fresh parsley.