Peel and cut the “calçots” into small pieces (a long type of green onion)
Wash and chop the parsley
Peel and chop the garlic
Wash and finely cut the chard leaves and stems.
Wash and dice the “tomàtiques de ramallet” (hanging tomatoes).
Optional: crumble the dry salted herring
For the dough
Make a paste with the water, flour and yeast, not too thick. This will be our sourdough. Let stand one day.
Add flour, olive oil, “saïm” (lard) and a little water to the sourdough. The dough shouldn’t be very hard. Cover it and let it ferment for 2 hours.
Flatten the dough and place on a metal baking tray, which should be previously greased and sprinkled with paprika. Firmly stretch, with your fingers and let ferment 1 hour.
For the vegetables
Mix the chard, garlic, “calçots” and tomatoes, everything should be diced into small pieces. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with paprika. This is the basis of a very typical salad called “Trempó”.
For the coca
Place the seasoned vegetable mix on top of the stretched dough and cook in a preheated oven at 200-220ºC, until the dough is crisp but the vegetables are not burnt.
Contributor: Maria Melis, 72
Place: Manacor, Mallorca, Spain
Personal Background:
Maria is a housewife, she has always cooked at home.
Recipe’s Personal Background
How did you learn this recipe?
From her grandparents and her mother.
Is there some memory/historical event connected to this recipe?
It was always made at home, when bread was made, because bread was only baked once a week. Bread from Mallorca last long without drying. The “coca de Trempó” was a way to use the leftover dough and yeast, and they also made a salad with the vegetable mix, the “Trempó”. In this case the vegetables are seasoned with olive oil and are raw.
To keep the sourdough, they would cover it was a cabbage leaf so it wouldn’t dry out.
Personal reference to tradition transmitted by relatives (preparing together, sharing, eating together etc.)?
It would be prepared with the whole family when they would make bread. Today it is a dish that she still makes for her grandchildren, but they cover the dough with the ingredients that they like.
Mediterranean Background
Any tradition this receipe is connected to? If yes, which one? Can you describe it?
It is a field preparation, a recipe that takes advantage of the vegetables that have been harvested and is easy to transport, to take to the field, where there is a lot of work to do in the summer.
Any Festivity this recipe is connected to? If yes, which one? Can you describe it?
No, because it is an everyday dish.
Is your recipe connected to the territory you live in? Is it strictly linked to the specificity of the agricultural environment?
All the ingredients are connected to the territory, from the tomatoes to the saim (lard) used for the dough. Mallorca was, until a century ago, an area devoted entirely to agriculture and the fishing industry. Each peasant has a family garden where seasonal vegetables were grown for subsistence.
In addition the “Coca de Trempó” is a dish easy to take to the field as well as nutritious.
Season (season this food is linked to)
Especially in summer, because it is a dish easy to eat when it is hot outside. Maria tells us that she used to make this dish every week.
Ingredient
Nutritional Importance
Health Benefits
Wheat flour
It is the main ingredient of bread, and its nutrients are more concentrated because of its lower water content. Rich in carbohydrates, wholegrain bread has a larger amount of fibre. It also has a significant amount of vegetal protein and minerals such as sodium, potassium and a little bit of phosphorous.
Bread is the most used cereal food in the MD. A great source of energy since its carbohydrates help us reach the 50% of energy coming from cereals. Preferably wholegrain bread rich in fibre.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Excellent vegetal fat. It has a good amount of monounsaturated fats, without cholesterol. It is consider as the best fat for cooking and dressing/seasoning. Since it is a fat, it contains a lot of calories. Extra virgin olive oil conserves a great quality of its nutrients and flavour. Eaten raw has a perfect nutrition profile
Very well-known and associated to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. It is very stable and resists high cooking temperatures, it is a great fat to cook with. It should be consumed in moderation because it is a fat, and is a high energy food.
Yeast
It is one of the richest food in folic acid, also contains other minerals as phosphorus and potassium
It is consumed in small amounts and not very often. It is used to make bread and cakes. We must consume sweet cakes in moderation, during special occasions.
Lard
This dark leafy green vegetable has a great amount of iron, vitamin A, C and potassium.
Very common vegetable in the MD area that grows easily and it is consumed frequently. Great vegetable to enrich our diet to prevent anemia and guarantee the benefits of the MD, eating vegetables and fruits.
Garlic
Bulb vegetable rich in potassium and vitamin C. It does not provide much energy but it gives a very Mediterranean flavour when used thanks to its micronutrients and phytochemicals components
Classified as a bulb, it has hypotensive and vasodilator properties.
“Calçot” (green onion)
This vegetal bulb contains an important proportion of water. It is also a good source fibre, folic acid and potassium.
Like the garlic, the onion is a very common ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine. It has respiratory effects, and is considered a natural antibiotic. A high intake is associated with low stomach cancer rates.
Tomato “branch variety”
Vegetable fruit rich in vitamins and minerals. It contains vit. C and A, folic acid and potassium and a very large proportion of water. Raw maintains more nutrients and their best quality.
A medium tomato can give us a good amount of non-heme iron, to prevent anemia if combined with citric fruits. As a fruit, contains a large amount of antioxidants components.
Salt
This product is rich in sodium and is a great flavor enhancer.
Moderate intake is healthy, but high proportions can cause health problems. Be careful with salty products. The use of iodized salt is recommended by the WHO.
Additional information
Is it suggested to eat this meal if you suffer from some disease? If yes, for which one?
No
What is the primary base with which your food is prepared? Is this a derivative of oil or another base?
Olive oil, wheat and water are essential foods of the MD. Our culture has grown with these ingredients.
What nutrition related illnesses or deficiencies are common in your area? Are there holistic or nutrition based remedies connected to these aliments?
