If I save this blog for only jewelry news it is quite boring, and my posting is sporadic at best during the slow times of year, so I am introducing a little "everyday" creativity to my blog. Which brings me to the first in a new "things I make besides jewelry" series of posts!
I patiently await the return of cooler weather here in Charleston so I can start baking again...one of the quirks of living in a home that is about 170 years old is that my kitchen has a giant fireplace but no air conditioning. So when it hits 90 or 100 outside the very last thing I want to do is turn on my oven. Now that the fall-ish 70-degree weather has arrived though one of the first things I wanted to make is pizza, and as a bonus this recipe uses some of the gourmet impulse buys that crowd my cabinets like citrus sea salt and maple vinegar!
White Pizza topped with Toasted Pecans & Greens in a Maple VinaigretteThis is actually really easy, and if you have dough already made or use purchased dough this can be on the table in under 30 minutes. If you want to make your own dough
this recipe and
this one (the second link is the recipe I use all the time, only with double the honey for sweeter pizzas like this one) are very good.
Preheat your oven to 450F (or whatever your chosen dough tells you to do).
Once your dough has risen, shape it into thin, flat pizza-esque forms on your pizza stone or baking sheet (put down cornmeal or cover your baking sheet with parchment so the dough doesn't stick). Brush the dough with olive oil and top with your chosen cheeses (I used mozzarella and goat cheese), then sprinkle with pepper & citrus sea salt* and a drizzle of olive oil. Now you can bake your pizzas (mine were rather small, so they baked for just 10 minutes).
While your pizza is baking take out a small bowl and add 1-1.5 tablespoons maple vinegar, the zest of half a lemon, and small pinches of salt & pepper to the bowl; now whisk in 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add your greens, herbs and anything else you want to the bowl and toss (this makes enough vinaigrette for two individual sized pizzas). In a small pan, toast your pecans for just a few minutes until they smell nutty & toasty.
Once your pizzas are finished cooking and the crust is nicely browned, take them out of the oven and sprinkle with a little parmigiano-reggiano. Plate the pizzas and top with the greens and a sprinkle of pecans, and you're done!
*If you don't have these ingredients you can easily substitute: citrus sea salt = salt + lemon zest, maple vinegar = white wine vinegar + maple syrup
