Exciting things have been happening at the Zara household this last week, so I haven't been posting on my blog lately ! So I have some catching up to do, and this seemed like a good way to do it.
When we got our new CSA box, there was this little bundle of strange greenery I couldn't identify. I checked through the list of what was supposed to be included, and realized I had purslane. Purslane is technically a weed, but is is edible, and has a lemony and somewhat salty flavor. I wasn't really sure what to do with it, so I decided to make a pesto. Why not ? And, we received multi-colored beets, which I love on pizza, so I made this really beautiful pizza, almost entirely from our CSA box. Very cool !
Grilled Beet and Purslane Pesto Pizza
For the pesto
2 cups purslane (I remove the thick stems, but everything else is usable)
1/2 cup fresh basil
4 cloves garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1 ounce shaved parmesan cheese
Handful of almonds or pine nuts
Salt to taste
Place all ingredients in the food process, and blend until smooth.
For the pizza crust:
3/4 cup luke warm water
1/2 teaspoon yeast
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
Sprinkle yeast over the water and let sit for 5 minutes. Mix together salt and flour, and slowly mix in water mixutre. Blend together until it forms a ball, and knead for 5 minutes. Split into two, and roll out into a crust. If baking, roll onto parchment paper. If grilling, spray a piece of aluminum foil with non-stick spray and roll out.
Preheat grill to high or oven to 500.
Toppings for the pizza:
1/2 cup purslane pesto
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
3 medium beets (any color) grilled and sliced
2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
2 scallions, sliced
Salt and pepper, to taste
Spread pesto on top of pizza crust, and top with mozzarella cheese. Arrange other toppings on pizza. Place on grill, and cook on high heat until crust is browned and cheeses are bubbly, approximately 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat, slice and serve.
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