Summer Time Pizza

I love summer pizza when sun ripe herbs and vegetables are at their peak.  Here is a sublime version we recently devoured that is crowned with a glorious tomato-basil salad.

Basil, oh Basil!

 As I pulled the pizza from the oven, the heady aroma of garlic, basil, and cheese was almost too much to bear. Fortunately there is little down time since the last minute topping of the flavorful lemony-dressed arugula salad is ready and waiting.   

We were so into enjoying the pizza that we did not even spare the time to snap a photo of this beauty. Trust me, it is both beautiful and delicious.

The fact is, this yummy pizza is all about the pesto, and amazingly, it seems I have previously failed to provide a recipe for it. 

So, if pesto making is on your horizon,  now is the time to find a good supply of fresh basil, pull out the blender or food processor, and give this one a whirl. The pine nuts are not essential, but they greatly enhance the pesto and provide the mysterious smoky ingredient that binds the texture and flavors of the olive oil, basil, garlic and Parmesan cheese.  Enjoy!

Summer Pizza topped with Tomato-Basil Salad

Ingredients

Pizza:

·         1 Pizza Crust, prebaked

·         1/3 cup fresh pesto (see below)

·         2 roasted red peppers, skinned and seeded, cut into strips

·         ½ large sweet onion, such as Walla Walla, peeled and cut into strips

·         1 cup grated melting cheese such as mozzarella or Muenster, divided

·         2 oz. dry Coppa or prosciutto ham, cut into strips

·         1/3 cup Parmesan cheese grated

 Salad:

·         1 ½  cups sliced baby tomatoes

·         18 or more arugula or romaine leaves cut into thin strips (about 3 cups)

·         1/3 cup fresh basil, julienned

Dressing:

·         juice of ½ lemon (about 2 Tbsps.)

·         1 clove garlic, crushed

·         ½ tsp. Dijon mustard

·         ¼ tsp. salt and pepper, each

·         2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese, divided

·         1/3 cup olive oil

  

Directions

For the Pizza:

1.       Spread the crust with a thin film of of pesto.

2.       Cover the pesto with a  layer of onions, then the red pepper.  Sprinkle the vegetables with half of the mozzarella or Muenster.

3.       Top the cheese with a layer of Coppa strips, then the remaining cheese, and finally the Parmesan.

4.       Bake in 425 degree oven for 8-10 minutes or until cheese begins to bubble and brown.

Allow to cool slightly before cutting.

  

For the Salad and Dressing:

1.       For dressing, in a small jar combine the lemon juice through 1 Tbsp. Parmesan.  Add the olive oil and shake until thick.  The dressing can be made ahead. 

2.       Shortly before serving, place tomatoes, lettuce and basil in a bowl.

To assemble pizza, toss the salad with the dressing until well coated.

Spread the pizza with tomato-arugula salad or drape individual pizza slices with a spoonful of the salad. Sprinkle with remaining 1 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese and serve. Serves 2, or more, maybe.

Pinoli Pesto  
Ingredients

·         2 heaping cups basil leaves, stems removed; washed and dried

·         2-3 cloves garlic, sliced

·         ½  tsp. salt

·         ¼  tsp. black pepper or red pepper flakes

·         1/3  cup pine nuts, toasted

·         1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

·         2/3 cup olive oil

Directions 

Place all except olive oil in container of blender.  Slowly add the olive oil and blend until all leaves are incorporated and pesto is thick, with a slight grainy consistency.  Yield:  1 cup.  Store in refrigerator. 

A Complete Life

When it comes to life’s pleasures―and food is surely one of them, my life is far richer when there is an herb garden planted nearby.  I’ve learned it doesn’t have to be much, but there is something hugely fulfilling about kneeling amongst fresh herbs and gathering a supply to complement my cooking.  

The smell of the earth combined with the scent of freshly cut herbs restores me.   I love the perfume left behind on my skin from the oils of their bruised leaves.  On my kitchen sink, a small vase of herbs further inspires me; it brightens the space and continues to welcome all who enter. 

When I’ve lived in cold climates sage and rosemary were enough to sustain me.  In tropical locales, basil and perhaps cilantro were often my regulars.  Now, in a moderate region, I’m very fortunate to have a well rounded supply of oregano, chives, rosemary, summer and winter savory, English and lemon thyme, and purple and yellow sage.  A few of the tougher ones survive winter’s rain and snow, while fragile chives and some of the thyme, hunker in and return again when it warms up.   

Recently the thyme, savory, and oregano began going to seed.  It was time to do a quick thinning and cut them back before they became too leggy and awkward.  While I was at it, I cut everyone back and brought the residual crop inside to dry.  I laid it all out on sheet pans for a couple of days to begin the process―then moved it all to a large bowl and lightly covered it to further dry. 

This herb blend has become a real staple in my kitchen.  It may vary slightly depending on amounts and varieties used, but it is always surprisingly similar.  The winter savory, sage, and rosemary give it deep aromatic complexity while the thyme, summer savory, and oregano balance and brighten it.  Amazingly, all these unique elements seem to come together and create a distinct flavor and scent. 

I’ve always been a big herb salt fan and it didn’t take me long to figure out it was time to make my own.  Since then, herb salt has become a regular and recognizable part of my cooking.   I have resorted to regularly creating a similar blend with kosher salt.  I jazz it up a bit for gifts and special occasions by including unique grades of sea salt such as pink Himalayan or a fleur de sel.    

 

This herb salt blend has become my standard for sprinkling on eggs, pizza and in mixed salad dressings.  When roasting, it is my go-to seasoning for chicken and fish.  

I wish you could smell my latest batch of herbal salt.   There’s a slight whiff of pine trees and desert trails, lush floral notes, and lilting wafts of citrus. It is crazy that a jar of herbs and salt could anchor me to the land and resonate of the hills and valleys that surround me. 

Yes, it's true, though; my herb salt blend actually does provide an identifiable sense of place. 
 

Ground Cherries and Chutney

Pages on the calender whiz by and in the blink of any eye it is suddenly mid-September, when farmer’s markets and produce stands overflow with fresh picked corn, squash, melons, green beans, peaches, apples and more.  No question, this seasonal flutter of abundance also means it is canning time in many local kitchens. 

Browsing my local farm stand, I recently spotted an unfamiliar specimen tucked among a colorful display of assorted cherry tomatoes:  pint baskets filled with peculiar tiny paper lantern shaped packages.  What is that??  Why, it’s another culinary distraction! 

Erin, one of the staff regulars, smiles, offers a sample, and explains they are an heirloom variety affectionately called ground cherries.  Wrapped inside each festive papery covering lurks the most extraordinary baby tomato―a sweet, succulent, golden bundle bursting with tropical pineapple overtones.  

The ground cherry gets its name from the fact that it falls from the vine onto the ground when it is ripe.  Some may be familiar with its larger cousin, the tomatillo, also known for its papery wrap. Like particular members of the nightshade or Solanaceae family including some tomatoes and potatoes, the ground cherry contains solanine glycoalkloids, a toxic chemical (extremely bitter tasting) when eaten immaturely green and raw.  

 

Most likely, the ground cherry made its way to the U.S. from Latin American as early as the 1700’s.  The plant is so adaptable it even grows wild along roadsides on the east coast from as far south as Florida and into New England, where it is often known as the Cape gooseberry. 

These heirloom beauties are perfect for the home gardener:  they are fairly disease and pest tolerant, plus they conveniently fall onto the ground when ready for picking. How easy is that?  Allow the ground cherries to ripen a bit more by storing at room temperature in the husk for about a week.  When their color has turned to shades ranging from yellow to apricot they are ready to eat, prepared as you would any other tomato. 

   

The resourceful and enterprising Pennsylvania Dutch, particularly fond of them, have long included ground cherries in cobblers and pies, and even pickle them.   

 

For a test run, I’m thinking the condiment idea makes sense―a chutney of some sort would enhance the ground cherry’s tropical qualities. Since, I only have one small basket I decide to combine these charmers with a few peaches plus a couple of apples for texture.  

  

I let the chutney reduce down before adding the whole ground cherries, then realize they would have cooked quicker if halved first. Oops.  I patiently watch, waiting for them to burst; exasperated, I finally start breaking them up with a wooden spoon to release their juices. Still under 40 minutes, the mixture burbles and thickens and the tomato seeds become more apparent, which further add to the novelty. Yes, I like the ground cherries’ identifiable shape and and am very pleased that I kept them whole.  

 

The taste test: a mellow sweet/sour/spicy/salty blend of fruits and vegetables all arced with a hit of heat.  A good curry condiment for sure.  But, call me crazy, I’d even put this on ice cream.    

I’m thinking ground cherries are certainly worth considering for next year’s garden under the category of Easy and Versatile.  

Ground Cherry Chutney (with Peach and Apple)
 2 cups fresh peaches, remove stone, skin, chop

1 cup apple, peel, core, chop

½ cup ground cherries or more, papers removed, halved if desired

2/3 cup brown sugar (approximate)

1/3 cup cider vinegar

½ cup onion, dice

½ cup red pepper, chop

1 jalapeno pepper, seed and dice

1 Tbsp grated ginger

2 cloves garlic, mince

2 dried chile peppers, crumble

½ tsp mustard seed or ¼ tsp dried mustard

½ tsp salt

In a heavy saucepan, combine all but the ground cherries and bring to a boil.  Simmer approximately 20 minutes, until much of the liquid has cooked out. 

Add the ground cherries and boil lightly approximately 20 minutes longer; until the cherries pop to reduce liquid and the chutney has thickened. Cool and store in the refrigerator.  Makes 2 cups.