Fresh Tart

Photo by Susan Powers

Susan Powers and I had so much fun making, photographing, and eating this fabulous gluten-free pizza!  Do not miss the gorgeous pictures Susan took of lovely, charming Zoe Francois, of Zoe Bakes and Artisan Breads in Five Minutes a Day, and the beautiful things she creates.  See our latest post on Shooting the Kitchen.

Have you noticed the buzz about ramps and wondered what's up?  Ramps are wild onions that taste like mild garlic and when they show up in markets, it's a sure sign that spring has sprung.  Lalalaaa!  I suspect that's why they make spring-fevered foodies a bit crazy.  And like fava beans, morel mushrooms, and fiddle-head ferns, ramps are kinda sexy, uber-trendy, and in the end, just really delicious.  I spotted a pile at Whole Foods and decided to work them into the potato pizza I was already planning for dinner.  Sorry red onions, ramps are hotter than you.

Lest you think I'm a snooty foodie for my ramp romp, let me point out that the crust pictured is...purchased.  I do love to make pizza dough, but my favorite version is best started the day before, and this was a last-minute dinner plan.  We're all (and that's a miracle, to have the whole family in agreement) loving the Whole Foods brand organic pizza crust, for sale in their packaged bread section, available in both white and whole-wheat.  The ingredient list isn't long or scary and the crusts bake up thin, light, and crisp.

But certainly make or buy your own favorite crust - this topping would be good on almost anything, including nothing.  (I had to work hard to not just eat the potatoes off the roasting pan.)

I used fresh oregano and pancetta with the potatoes, but you could substitute your favorite herb(s) and use ham, bacon, or no meat at all.  I liked the contrast of chewy, salty pancetta with the soft potatoes and crisp crust.

While you roast the potatoes, saute the ramps and pancetta.  It all comes together quickly, fast enough for a weeknight dinner.  A simple salad of greens, shallots, and vinaigrette, with plenty of salt and pepper, is perfect alongside.

Pizza with Potatoes, Pancetta, and Ramps
Serves 2-4

1 pizza crust
olive oil
1 lb. small red-skinned potatoes, sliced thinly
2 Tbsp. fresh oregano leaves, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 bunches ramps, chopped (bulbs and green tops; substitute scallions, sweet onion, or red onion)
2 oz. pancetta, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Put potatoes, oregano, and garlic in a large bowl and drizzle with a few tablespoons of olive oil.  Sprinkle generously with salt toss to coat evenly.  Spread the mixture on a baking sheet.  Roast for 15 minutes, turn potato slices over, and roast for another 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender and lightly browned at the edges.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add 2 Tbsp. of olive oil to the pan, then stir in the ramps.  Sprinkle the ramps with a little salt, then saute until wilted, about 5 minutes.  Scrape ramps into a bowl and set aside.

Return the pan to the heat and add pancetta.  Saute, stirring frequently, until pancetta is browned and crispy.  Drain on paper towels.

To assemble the pizza: drizzle a little olive oil on the crust and spread around with your fingers.  Arrange potato slices on the crust in two layers.  Taste potatoes and if they need a little salt, add some.  Top with ramps and pancetta.  Scatter cheese over the crust and grind fresh pepper lightly over the pizza.  Bake for 12-15 minutes on the rack until cheese is melted and bubbling and crust is crisp.

Well, I try.  And really, there's no reason that whole-grain bread, a moderate amount of cheese, as well as a generous amount of veggies and lean protein shouldn't be a perfectly nutritious dinner - it's just the gut-bomb delivery and restaurant version that does the major damage.  (And can you say sodium?  Pizza Hut = serious balloonness, I'd hate to know the sodium content and I like salt.)  I've linked to this whole-wheat crust recipe before and I'm here to say again that it is really, really fantastic.  It makes two baking-sheet size thin-crust pizzas, or three slightly smaller, cracker-thin crusts (that's how I like it).

I pre-bake the crusts, on a pan, for about 5 minutes first.  Then I top with a quick, chunky sauce (crushed tomatoes simmered briefly with a couple of cloves of minced garlic, a generous pinch of red pepper flakes and dried oregano), a small amount of shredded cheese (mozzarella works, of course, but provolone or fontina packs more flavor-punch), and a whatever-I'm-in-the-mood-for mix of vegetables and protein.  Pepperoni and green olives for my son.  Caramelized onions and pancetta for adults.  Shirmp and artichokes if I'm motivated (which I was - above are baby artichokes, sauteed with garlic).

After topping, I slide the pie directly onto the oven rack (no pan - thus the pre-bake, it has enough shape to sit directly on the rack) and bake until the toppings are bubbling and crust is crisp, about 10 minutes at 450 degrees F.  If you add heavier toppings, bake at 400 degrees for a bit longer.  Have fun and improvise freely.

Pretty laid back holiday eating 'round these parts.  I haven't busted out any of my favorite Kosher for Passover recipes for my stepdaughter yet this year, maybe I will on Wednesday (popovers, brownies, matzo ball soup, or latkes?).  Saturday night we just had K for P pasta, with marinara, and a pan full of sauteed vegetables.  Easy.  Nice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday Stacey and Cooper joined us to celebrate Easter with a relatively new tradition - breaking my son's third-annual Lenten pizza fast.  The last couple of years we were in a hotel on Easter Sunday, scoring room-service pizza-for-breakfast before heading for the airport.  It was nice to be home this year and make something homemade (and more wholesome!).

 

 

 

 

 

 

I made a simple and delicious whole wheat crust (pulled the recipe from here; recommend it highly - it makes three baking-sheet-sized very thin crust pizzas, just the way we like 'em).  Pizzas are a nice do-ahead meal - I made the dough and par-baked the crusts earlier in the day, as well as simmered a simple tomato sauce (garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano), caramelized onions (thyme), and sauteed mushrooms (sage).  Nathan and Cooper take their pizza with pepperoni and green olives, but I made a veggier/lighter version for us grown ups (fontina, onion, mushroom, pine nuts).

 

 

 

 

 

 

To keep things on the lighter side, we just had veggies for appetizers - guacamole with jicama and red bell pepper, and a steamed artichoke with a simple dip (mayo whisked with a bit of Dijon mustard and fresh lemon juice).  With a big salad (topped with a little crispy prosciutto and Parm), and berries for dessert, a tasty if unconventional Easter dinner.

Yep, we're watching the Super Bowl, but nope, we didn't order pizza. I made it! Customized pizzas, from a basic bread dough recipe, one for each of the four of us. The boys go heavier on protein (pepperoni and cheese), pretty light on the veg. My stepdaughter is a cheese purist. I love lots of mushrooms, onions, and green pepper, with just a smidge of cheese. I haven't had pizza for awhile, forgot how filling it is! Even with a thin crust, a rib-sticker, fo sho.

Man, what happened to the days of snacking through the whole Super Bowl? Con queso, anyone? Meatballs, bean dip, chili, chips of every flavor, smoked nuts, and lots & lots o' beer? I'd say ahh, the good ol' days, but I don't really miss them much, I have to say. It makes me feel bloated just reading that list!

Go (insert Giants or Patriots, depending on for whom you're cheering; I'm no dummy)!!!

And oh! As a sweet reminder that yes indeed, summer will again come to this frozen, gray land, I just got the sign up for my '08 LaFinca veggie share. Woo hoo! Check out their website if you're interested in a weekly supply of locally grown, organic vegetables!

I braved the heat and humidity to snip some herbs from my deck (OK, it was only a few steps, but it's HOT out there!) and found a couple of colorful visitors (black swallowtail caterpillars!) feasting on my parsley. And some pretty little blooms on my rosemary. Very not October (poor buggers, I don't think they're going to make it to butterfly stage this late in the season), but lovely!

The rosemary is for the appetizer I'm making for Nathan's class parent party tonight. A room-temperature pizza, lightly topped so it's almost like a hearty foccacia bread. It's very easy, do-ahead, and most important (!), tasty. I vary the toppings, depending on what I have in the cooler. Tonight's version has a bit of crisp bacon, fresh tomatoes, said rosemary, caramelized onions, olive oil, and mozzarella. Sprinkle of coarse salt, few grinds of pepper, good stuff. (Recipe posted in comments, below.)

Man, I think I have to wear a tank top to this party tonight - 90 degrees is truly sweltering, even if it is October. Wild.

A relaxing, mellow Saturday today - hot as hell, but that's OK. It was a good day to not have to do much of anything, given how tired I am from staying up so late last night. Why oh why do I do it? I know that I'm too old for such shenanigans...but there I am anyhow, closing down the house, chatting and noshing and sipping away. It's the party-girl in me, the Badger Gamma Phi, the Kollege Klub Dr. Shots...suburban mommy, yes, but the party girl lingers just below the surface. (And she sure is feeling her age, ouch.)

John and I had such a lovely morning babysitting our nephew, Cooper. He played, and chatted, and played some more before eating lunch and getting very, very tired (as in head resting on the highchair tray tired). Post-lunch, he absolutely crashed in Nathan's cool, dark room for a long afternoon's slumber. I was actually jealous. Of a sleeping one-year old. Yeah.

But instead of napping myself, I headed out to the pool. I know I'm getting more than a little repetitive here. But hey, what can I say? It was 97 degrees out there today, with 40% humidity, and not much of a breeze, so into the pool we went. First just John and me, then Nathan joined us, then our neighbors the Hatzungs joined us too, and away we all cruised (and splashed!) into cocktail hour and then dinner, with a quick (and delicious!) delivered pizza (thank you, Hatzungs!) supplemented with a salad (thank you, La Finca CSA veggie share!). Now, it's bedtime, man, dang I'm tired. This party girl is all partied out. Until tomorrow...