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Perfect Summer Pizza

6/24/2014

2 Comments

 
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I am ashamed to say that despite having an Italian husband (and last name), I am not *exactly* sure what the definition of pizza is, but I do know a few things about pizza for sure:
1) We can eat it.
2) Our child does not really like to eat it, but she loves to make different versions of it, which is often good enough for me.
3) You can make a "pizza" (or what I think of loosely as a pizza) with a million different ingredients, so it tastes deliciously different each time. And I suppose, while you are at it, you could come up with a million different names for these dishes too, but I could not even choose a name for my daughter, so I won't go there.
So, for a fresh, summery twist on pizza, and a really fun, productive way to spend some time in the kitchen with your kids, try this simple, speedy and super scrumptious recipe:
  • Preheat your oven to 475 degrees.
  • Sprinkle a work surface with flour and roll out your pizza dough into desired shape and size. (We get our dough at any of the four pizza joints nearby, but you can also buy pizza dough either frozen or fresh in most supermarkets these days, or make your own.) You can get creative right from this first step on: You can make a traditional large round pizza or several small, individual ones; you can stretch them into rectangles or squares or ovals too. Place your pizza dough shapes onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper to make your life easy. Prick with a fork all over (kids love this part too) and season with salt and pepper. Bake in oven for about 8-12 minutes, maybe a bit more if your pizza is one large shape. 
  • When your dough looks golden brown, and crunchy, remove from oven, drizzle lightly with olive oil and top with fresh ricotta cheese (or crumbled blue cheese, feta, goat, smoked gouda, fresh mozzarella, burrata, pecorino, parmigiano, or whatever you prefer). Place pizza back in the oven for 2 more minutes, so the cheese heats up and begins to melt into that delicious fresh baked pizza dough.
  • Remove from oven and top with chopped fresh herbs like basil, parsley, mint, thyme, lavender and sage. We like to add some baby dinosaur kale or chard too, since we are miraculously managing to grow some at home. I also love watercress but Lina finds it too "spicy." (The benefit with making several smaller pizzas here is that each can be different, so you can sample many in one meal.)
  • Add one more drizzle of olive oil over the herbs, season again with salt and pepper, cut and serve.
  • To take this dish to a whole other level, try adding a drizzle of honey and / or some fresh sliced stone fruit like plums, nectarines, peaches, or, if you have undying patience, my favorite, pitted sliced cherries. Dried fruit like golden raisins or figs taste fantastic as well. Grilled vegetables, if you have some lying around, are also a delicious addition.
  • Alternatively, bits of sliced ham, bacon, prosciutto, chorizo, or salami can add a whole new dimension and loads of extra flavor and protein.

    Serve and enjoy immediately, or pack for a perfect beach picnic.



2 Comments
heidi swindells
6/30/2014 12:16:13 am

what a loving creative blog.....truly special to follow and always looking forward to what comes next

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10/5/2017 05:37:26 am

An ultimate pizza, specially made for summer. That is such a great recipe and considering that it is overloaded with different toppings. It will be a pizza to be devoured by everyone in our home. I bet that one whole pizza wouldn't even satisfy all of us and I will need to create two more pizzas so that I can also eat. Nothing better to eat in summer other than pizza. We could eat it during a road trip, a picnic, on a family outing, and etc.

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    About the Author

    I'm Lorraine Allen, and when our daughter was diagnosed with multiple severe food allergies in infancy, a decade ago, I decided to freelance from home so that I could also care and cook for her. Because I grew up all around the world, it's important to me that she be able to enjoy all sorts of international food.  I've learned, throughout this process, that even a large number of severe allergies and restrictions does not stop a person from eating well. On the contrary, by forcing us to focus so much attention on what we consume, we've gained a whole new appreciation for good food, and ironically, we all enjoy a healthier diet than before this diagnosis. This site is where we share some of our delicious egg-free, nut-free, shellfish-free (and often vegan and gluten-free) experiments and successes in the kitchen. Guten Appetit and thanks for reading!

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