Beet
Beet and Blue Dande Pesto Pizza (with Dandelion and Beet Green Pesto)
- Makes 6
Author Notes
This earthy pizza is one loaded with fresh,bitter pesto, sweet beets, salty prosciutto, and (no adjective) blue cheese. It's not for people who like particularly light flavors but those who adore full bodied and savory flavors. Trust me on this one! **Note: To roast beets, trim off tops, cut a few holes in each, drizzle with olive oil, and wrap in oil. Place in a 400 degree oven and cook for about 45 minutes. Don't worry about peeling them. Once they've cooked and cooled, the skin comes off easily.
—Mary Catherine Tee
What You'll Need
Ingredients
- For the Dandelion and Beet Green Pesto
-
2 cups
packed, dandelion greens
-
2 cups
packed, beet greens
-
1 tablespoon
fresh lemon juice
-
6
cloves of garlic, smashed
-
2/3 cup
walnuts
-
2/3 cup
grated parmesan
-
1 teaspoon
kosher salt
-
1 cup
olive oil
- For the Dough and Toppings
-
1 1/4 cups
warm water (about 105 degrees Fahrenheit)
-
1 1/2 tablespoons
active dry yeast
-
1 tablespoon
honey
-
4 tablespoons
olive oil
-
3 1/2 cups
all purpose flour, and more as needed for rolling
-
2 teaspoons
kosher salt
-
1/4 cup
heaping, finely chopped basil
-
4
medium beets, roasted and thinly sliced
-
1 cup
dandelion and beet green pesto
-
1/2 pound
proscuitto, sliced into thin strips
-
8 ounces
good blue cheese, crumbled
-
olive oil for drizzling
Directions
- For the Dandelion and Beet Green Pesto
- Rough chop your dandelion and beet green together.
- Combine all ingredients, except olive oil in a food processor. Pulse about 10 times, scraping down the sides of the food processor bowl with a spatula every few pulses, until everything is minced together and about the same size.
- Turning the processor on low, slowly drizzle olive oil in until everything is well combined and the pesto is the consistency you like.
- For the Dough and Toppings
- For the dough, combine the water, yeast, honey, and olive oil in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add 3 cups flour, then the salt, and mix. While mixing, add 1/2 cup of flour, or enough to make a soft dough. Knead the dough on low speed for about 10 minutes until smooth, adding a little bit more flour, if necessary, to keep it from sticking to the bowl.
- When the dough looks as though it's smooth and elastic to the touch, take out of the bowl and place the dough in an oiled bowl. Turn it several times to cover it lightly with oil so it doesn't get crusty. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and allow it to rest for about 45 minutes at room temperature. Divide the dough into six equal dough balls. Roll each one until it is smooth. Place the balls on a baking sheet and cover them with a damp towel. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes. Roll and stretch each ball into a rough 8-inch circle and place them all on a plate. Cover with the same damp towel while the grill is heating.
- Heat the grill to medium-low. When heated, place pizza dough, two at a time, on the grate, and cook for five minutes. Flip and begin dressing the pizza with pesto first, beet slices second, prosciutto, and blue cheese lastly. Drizzle with good olive oil and close the grill. Cook for 5 minutes more or until the topping have warmed.
- Cut into slices and enjoy warm or cold.
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I’m an old soul. My favorite Saturday morning activity is watching birds on the feeder while drinking strong, black coffee out of my favorite hand-thrown mug. My favorite place to kill time is in antique stores. The less organized the better. I like full-bodied red wines and bitter IPAs. I live for feeling the warmth of sunshine and hearing the stillness of freshly fallen snow. I can thank my stint in Alaska for that. I have salt water in my veins, having grown up in Eastern NC, and (shhh…don’t tell any of my Mainer friends this about me) I prefer blue crab over lobster.
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