Foccacia and Balsamic Scallopini

Another cooking day with Simonetta. Today we did focaccia, a balsamic scallopini (with turkey breast), beans and a bean/faro soup. The bread, because of the rising time, was the first to be made.It was made with cooked potatoes, flour and yeast. 2x the amount of flour as potato. The potatoes, already boiled and cooled, were peeled, then put through a ricer. The mixed with flour. The yeast (a whole packet) was added, then warm water. We kneaded it, a cross was cut in the top, and it was put in a warm oven for 1 hour. Then it was kneaded again, shaped and put into a pan that had been covered with olive oil. The we pressed cut tomatoes on the top and it was set aside to rise again for 20 minutes. Then it was put into a 400 degree oven for ~30 minutes. When it came out of the oven more olive oil was poured on top and it was given a sprinkling of coarse salt. It had a great taste of potato and was soft.

While the bread was raising we started the soup.
First with the soup was the sofrito ... carrots, onion, celery were all fried hard in olive oil (we could have added pancetta or bacon at this point). Then cametomatoes. Then added lacinto kale, torn into pieces (without the main rib). After a few minutes bean cooking liquid was added and some stock. When this came to a boil we added faro. This cooked at a boil for ~20 minutes. Some already cooked beans were pureed and added. This was cooked another 10-15 minutes, then whole cooked beans were added.

While this was happening we got the beans going. These were called beans cooked in a flask. And they were. Very simple, very rich tasting,. The beans were soaked over night first. The they were put into the flask with onion, garlic, sage, rosemary and salt. Water was added to cover the beans three times over. Boiled for about 40 minutes (until the beans stopped jumping around.). We don't have one of these flasks in Colorado, so the beans could be cooked in a pot with the lid just barely ajar.

The scallopini with turkey breast and balsamic vinegar was quick and easy. We had a long talk about balsamic vinegar ( and the stuff we get in CO ain't what I tasted here) and the differences between traditional balsamic and regular balsamic. Traditional balsamic vinegar is made from a reduction of syrup from sweet wine grapes, called "Mosto Cotto" , which is aged for a minimum of 12 years in seven wooden barrels of successively smaller sizes. The casks are made of different woods like chestnut, acacia, cherry, oak, mulberry, ash, and, in the past, juniper. I got to taste some of the traditional ... and it was a wow! I aslo found out that it costs around 90 Euros (~$118) for a tiny bottle of 12 year old. The prices go up with age. Gotta get some. I'll do without dinners. I'll do without many things. This stuff is heavenly.
If you want to see photos of the day go here.