The Not-So-Classic Northwesterner (pizza)
Arugula-hazelnut pesto, smoked salmon and Flagship cheese. (See below for more pizza recipes.)
Ingredients
Preparation
NotesIngredients
Arugula and hazelnut pesto
- 1 cup loosely packed basil leaves Add to list
- 1 cup loosely packed arugula leaves Add to list
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil Add to list
- 4 large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped Add to list
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano Add to list
- 1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts Add to list
- 1/4 teaspoon salt Add to list
Toppings
- About 12 to 16 slices fresh tomato Add to list
- 2 leaves red chard, coarsely chopped Add to list
- Whole basil leaves Add to list
- 1/2 cup smoked salmon Add to list
- 2 cups Beecher’s Flagship cheese, grated or crumbled Add to list
Preparation
Place all of the pesto ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or blender and blend until coarsely chopped (sort of the consistency of fine pickle relish). If the mixture is a little dry, add a bit more olive oil.
Spread a generous layer of hazelnut-arugula pesto on the dough rounds and arrange the tomatoes and chard over the top. Sprinkle a thin layer of the cheese over the top and finish with the whole basil leaves, smoked salmon and another layer of cheese.
Dough
Use your favorite recipe for pizza dough and shape it into four eight-inch rounds. Or, use two pre-made packages of dough, divided in half, from Seattle-based East Coast Dough Company.
Add toppings and place rounds on a greased baking sheet and into a preheated 500º F oven. Turn the heat down to 450º F and bake for about 8 minutes, or until the crust is golden.
Notes
These mini-pizzas, created by PCC Cooks instructor Lynne Vea, are an easy, mix-and-match way to sample the season’s freshest flavors. For a decidedly Northwest taste, choose fresh ingredients that are grown and produced close to home. Ideas include Beecher’s Flagship cheese, Port Madison chévre and olive oil from Seattle’s Napoleon Company. Also, look for in-season, organic produce from local growers like asparagus from Inaba Farms and baby spinach and arugula from Full Circle Farms.
More pizza recipes in this series by Lynne Vea:
Recipe by , PCC Cooks instructor
Source: Sound Consumer May 2006
ABOUT OUR CHEF: Lynne Vea
Lynne Vea is a graduate of the Executive Chef Program at Le Cordon Bleu, Paris and has been cooking with PCC Natural Markets since 2001. Featured on King-5’s "Gardening with Ciscoe," she demonstrates easy and delicious recipes using seasonal ingredients.
Lynne is an admired PCC Cooks instructor, teaching a variety of popular PCC Cooks classes throughout the year.
She loves to collect old cookbooks, hunt for wild berries, and cook seven-course dinners where the guests are encouraged to dance and cavort between courses.
Find more recipes from Lynne.
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