asparagus, pesto + radish pizza

Directions

1. for the pizza:
2. First, prepare the pizza dough and pesto [recipes below].
3. Next, prepare the basil almond pesto: In a food processor or blender, add toasted almonds, Parmesan cheese, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt. Pulse or blend until combined. [If using a blender, you may need to add some of the oil to get everything going]. Add basil and with the motor running, drizzle the oil into the machine, and process until everything is finely ground and combined. Set aside.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll [or stretch] 2 balls of the prepared pizza dough until paper thin, forming 2 rectangles [for reference, my rectangles were about 6-7-inches by 11-12 inches]. Set aside.
5. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Wash the asparagus stalks and remove the tough ends [I find if you bend each stalk, one at a time, it will snap where it is meant to]. Chop the stalks into 1-2 inch long pieces. Toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and coarse salt and arrange in one layer on a baking sheet. Roast until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
6. Place a large baking sheet in the oven and increase temperature to 500 degrees F. [Since this recipe calls for very thin crust, I find that if you preheat your baking sheet, the crust still gets very crisp without a pizza stone, but you can definitely use a pizza stone if you have one].
7. While oven preheats, in a small bowl, mix together the creme fraiche, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, and 1 tablespoon of the extra virgin olive oil. Set aside.
8. Once oven is preheated, carefully remove preheated baking sheet and drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over the sheet. Swirl to spread evenly.
9. Roll each rectangle of dough onto a rolling pin and unroll onto the preheated, oiled baking sheet [don't try to transfer the dough without a rolling pin; it will rip]. Working quickly, spread each pizza with the creme fraiche and Parmesan mixture [spreading all the way to the edges]. Drizzle both pizzas with a few tablespoons [each] of the pesto and sprinkle the roasted asparagus pieces evenly over top. Sprinkle both pizzas with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
10. Place in the preheated oven and bake until edges of dough are golden brown and pizza is bubbling, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven, and sprinkle pizzas with chopped fresh mint. Arrange radish slices over top and sprinkle with coarse salt and drizzle with more pesto.
11. Slice pizzas into triangles and serve with dollops of creme fraiche [optional] over top.
12. Note: leftover pesto can be stored in the refrigerator with plastic wrap directly touching the top [to discourage browning].

1. for the pizza dough [recipe from Food & Wine]:
2. In a large bowl, mix the water with the yeast and sugar. Let stand until mixture starts to foam, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and salt and stir until a raggy dough forms. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
3. Lightly oil the bowl and return the dough it, turning the dough to coat it in oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
4. After 1 1/2 hours, punch down dough and divide into four equal balls. [You'll need two of these balls for this recipe, and can reserve the other two for another use. Remaining dough can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated overnight or frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw dough to room temperature before rolling out].