by Sidonie Maroon, Culinary Educator

Wondering what to do with all that zucchini? You grew it, friends brought gifts, or it was left anonymously on your doorstep. Instead of Zucchini Bread — Try Gluten Free Lemon Date Zucchini Flatbread and Gluten Free Cheesy, Olive, Basil, Walnut, Zucchini Flatbread

Why Gluten Free Flatbreads?

Flatbreads have enough crust and surface area for savory herbs, olives and cheeses. I’ve never understood the trouble we go through to make a loaf of bread rise, only to cut it into slices and flatten it out again? Why not keep it flat and make more surface area for flavor?

Flatbreads are the way to go if you are looking for easy, delicious gluten-free bread. By baking horizontal, there isn’t as much need for the intense structural requirements of building up. I do enjoy rising to the challenge of bread levitation, but if you don’t need prove yourself —then I’d recommend flatbreads.

 I take great pleasure in making flatbreads that uses up abundant seasonal ingredients. You know the ones I’m talking about: summer squash, winter squash and apples.

We already make quick bread out of them, so why not flatbreads?

Flatbread Tips

1. Have a tried and true quick baking mix that you can use to make  savory or sweet flatbreads. I developed this gluten-free baking mix that will work great. This  pancake mix  page 14 of Commons issue, also works. If you’d like more chew and less soft, then try my pastry flour mix. I haven’t tried prepackaged gluten-free baking mixes, but I bet they’d work. Please understand that some of these mixes already have leavening in them and some of them don’t. If they don’t, here’s a handy chart to know how much to add.

2. Ratios of Baking Soda or Baking Powder needed per cup of gluten-free flour mix

3. Decide if you will use a puree or grated fruits or vegetables. A puree will make a softer muffin like bread, while it’s easier to create a chewier bread with grated.

4. Choose side flavors and textures from olives, herbs, cheese for savory or dried fruit and nuts for sweet. Add spices to compliment the bread. Use olive oil or butter to amplify the flavors and create a rich crust.

5. Add an acid flavor like buttermilk, or two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. This works wonders to a gluten-free bread. No need to add baking soda if you do this, but a little baking soda will help to darken the crust. 

6. Bake flatbreads long enough and at a high enough temperature for the crust to develop its full potential.

Lemon Date Zucchini Flatbread

makes one 12-inch round

Wondering what to do with your abundance of late Summer zucchini? I was, but I wanted to branch out from my tried-and-true zucchini bread which is good —  but this is much better. Flatbreads give you the maximum amount of crunchy crust, with still all the goodness of dates, zesty lemon and the feelings of virtue for having used yet another two cups of grated summer squash.

Ingredients

2 cups/ 250g gluten-free flour (I use a mix of 2 parts sorghum flour to 1 part potato starch)

2 tablespoons/15g  flax meal

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon dried thyme

⅛ to ¼ teaspoon monk fruit powder + 2 tablespoons whole cane sugar

1 teaspoon sea salt 

2 cups/225g grated and well squeezed in a tea towel zucchini. It’s important that it’s not juicy. Drink the juice-- delicious.

½ cup/50g chopped pecans or walnuts

½ cup/ 85g whole pitted dates chopped

⅓ cup/ 50g raisins

⅓ cup/ 50g cranberries

¼ cup/ 50g lemon relish (take one organic lemon cut off ends, chop, seed and puree in the food processor and use 1/4 cup

½ cup/ 90g olive oil

½ cup/ 100g milk or milk kefir

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450F/230C

Line a pizza pan or baking sheet with parchment paper and drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over  spreading it around

Grate zucchini and squeeze out all the juice that you can by twisting it in a clean tea towel.

Make lemon relish and measure out ¼ cup (Recipe Below)

Mix dry ingredients together/ Mix in fruit and nuts

Mix wet ingredients together including lemon relish and zucchini

Mix wet ingredients into dry stirring until completely combined

Mold and flatten batter into a 12-inch round on parchment paper cutting off the excess paper

Mark cuts with a knife. Drizzle about 2 teaspoons more olive oil over the top

Bake for 17 minutes or until crusty and golden. Enjoy!

Lemon Relish

Cut off both ends of an organic lemon.

Cut into chunks, pulling out seeds, pulse in a food processor until a fine relish consistency. Save whatever’s left for another recipe. 

Cheesy, Olive, Basil, Walnut, Zucchini Flatbread

Serves 4

Another something good to make during zucchini season. This flatbread comes together easily with Mediterranean flavors and lots of crunchy, cheesy crust. Especially good with ripe tomato slices on top.

Ingredients

Wet

225g/ 2 cups well squeezed and drained grated zucchini

50g/ 1/2 cup walnuts

6 whole large stuffed green olives

(I used garlic jalapeno)

50g/ 1/4 cup lemon relish*

100g/ 1 cup grated Colby cheese

22 g / 2 tablespoons Olive oil

150mL/ 1/2 cup milk kefir or yogurt

1 cup chopped fresh basil (large handful)

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon dried thyme or fresh

Dry

250g/ 2 cups gluten-free flour (1 1/3 cup sorghum flour, 2/3 cup potato starch, 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum)

15g/ 2 tablespoons flax meal

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450°F 230C 

Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and rub with  2 teaspoons of olive oil

Grate zucchini and squeeze as much water as possible out through a tea towel

Pulse walnuts, olives and lemon relish together in a  food processor

Combine all dry ingredients

Combine all wet ingredients adding in zucchini, walnuts, olives and lemon relish

Mix wet and dry ingredients together to make a batter

Spread batter into a rectangle 1/2 inch thick

Drizzle 1 tablespoon more olive oil on batter gently dimpling the top of the flatbread

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 450°F 230 C  until golden and crusty