Zucchini and rocket carpaccio with kale pesto

Chefs Brenda Fawdon and Dominique Rizzo share their recipe for pesto with a twist, served with gently marinated zucchini and warm spelt flatbreads. It's not only delicious, it's also packed with goodness and makes a great vegetarian appetiser or starter. In keeping with their cooking philosophy, Brenda and Dominique use all organic produce and encourage you to do the same.

• serves

  6–8

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

Flat bread

• 1 kg organic spelt flour
• 30 g salt
• 30 g fresh yeast
• 30 g sugar
• 125 ml (½ cup) olive oil
• 250 ml (1 cup) warm water, plus extra

Kale pesto

• 5 cups fresh kale
• 5 cloves braised garlic
• ½ cup mixed toasted seeds and nuts (sesame, sunflower, pine nuts and almonds)
• 1½ lemons or limes, juiced
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup flaxseed oil
• salt

Zucchini and rocket carpaccio

• 3 large organic zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1 clove organic Russian (elephant) garlic, chopped
• ½ lemon, juiced
• extra virgin olive oil
• 2 handfuls organic rocket
• 1 handful organic flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 handful organic mint, chopped
• parmesan, thinly shaved
• salt and freshly ground pepper

Standing time 35 minutes

Instructions

To make the flat bread, mix the water, yeast and sugar until dissolved, leave in a warm place for about 15 minutes or until foaming.

Blend the flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture and mix until combined. Add enough water to the flour until dough pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl. Leave to prove in a warm place for 15–20 minutes or until doubled in size.

Meanwhile, place the zucchini in a shallow dish with the chopped garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and fresh ground pepper. Toss gently to combine and stand for 20–30 minutes.

Knock back the dough and knead for approximately 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Take small amounts of dough, roll into balls then flatten with a rolling pin to about 3–4 mm thick. Heat a grill plate or fry pan and cook the flat breads on both sides until golden.

To make the pesto, place the kale and garlic into food processor and blend roughly. Add the seeds and nuts, lemon or lime juice, and blend until combined. With the motor running, gradually add the olive oil and process until smooth, then stir in the flaxseed oil.  Season to taste and store in the refrigerator until served.

Drain the zucchini, reserving the dressing. Toss the rocket with the marinated zucchini and fresh herbs. Top with shaved parmesan and pour over the reserved dressing. Serve the warm flatbreads with the kale pesto and marinated zucchini.

Note

• As well as making flat bread, you can also roll the dough around fillings such as pesto, dried tomatoes, parmesan, ham and place into muffin trays before baking in a hot oven. Alternatively, use the dough as a pizza base, or roll into loaves and bake until hollow when knocked on the base.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.