TASTE
Top it off: Tired of the same old pizza?
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It's hard to imagine getting tired of pizza, but it's easy to grow weary of the same old toppings.
But rather than simply piling more on, liven up your pizzas by rethinking them from the base up.
Start with the crust. Making your own is great (and easier than you think), but few of us have time on weeknights. Instead, try ready-made crusts from the store.
Fresh dough can be refrigerated for a couple days, but let it come to room temperature before trying to roll it out.
For toppings, skip the sauce. The high acidity and sweetness of tomato sauce require the other ingredients to be equally assertive (think sausage and anchovies) to compete with it.
Going white means you can use more nuanced toppings, such as thinly sliced summer squash, mushrooms, all manner of greens (especially bitter ones, such as chickory, mustard greens, dandelion greens), and slivered fennel bulb (aka anise).
For this recipe, we combined winter squash and potatoes (we used purple potatoes — not Okinawan sweet potatoes but a variety of common potato that you can sometimes find in specialty food stores such as R. Field or at farmers markets). Though purple potatoes add an unusual and attractive color to the pizza, any small to medium variety is fine — fingerlings, Red Bliss, Yukon Gold or Finn.
These were thinly sliced, layered and topped with fresh rosemary and a blend of cheddar and mozzarella cheese. Potatoes may sound odd, but they pair wonderfully with cheese and dough.
Parboiling the thinly sliced potatoes and squash for several minutes ensures they cook quickly and evenly in the oven once the pizza has been assembled.
To prevent the pizza from becoming too dense, the potatoes are layered in a circle only around the perimeter.
Also, consider topping the crust with baby spinach before adding the potatoes and squash. The spinach will wilt down in the oven.
HARVEST PIZZA
Preheat oven to 450 F. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Scatter the cornmeal evenly over a baking sheet.
On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll out the pizza dough to a roughly 12-inch round. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet and set aside.
Once the water has come to a boil, add the potatoes and parboil for 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a kitchen towel or several layers of paper towels to absorb excess water. Repeat this process with the squash.
Coat the pizza dough with the olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Arrange the potato slices in an overlapping circle along the outside of the dough. Arrange the squash slices over the center of the pizza. Season again with salt and pepper.
Spread the cheese evenly over the pizza, then sprinkle with rosemary. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until cheese is lightly browned.
Makes 4 servings.
First created for Sunset magazine by food writer Betsy Reynolds Bateson, this recipe makes use of frozen bread dough and combines vegetables, cheeses and a vinaigrette in place of the usual tomato or white sauce. Make the components ahead on a Sunday, then serve it as a quick Monday night dinner.
BISTRO PIZZA SALAD
BALSAMIC-DIJON DRESSING (RECIPE FOLLOWS)
Slice mushrooms 1/2 inch thick. Cut onions into wedges about 1/2 inch thick in center and eggplant into about inch cubes. Cut tomatoes crosswise into 1/4-inch slices; set aside.
In a 450-degree oven, heat oil in a 10- by 15-inch baking pan just until hot. Remove pan and add mushrooms, onions, and eggplant; return to oven and cook until just golden, about 45 minutes, turning vegetables every 15 minutes. Add tomatoes; continue to cook until most liquid has evaporated, about 20 minutes more. If making ahead, chill, covered, up to 1 day.
Meanwhile, divide dough into 4 equal pieces. On a floured board, roll each piece of dough into a 7- to 8-inch round. As rolled, cover with plastic wrap to prevent drying.
Heat an 8- to 10-inch nonstick frying pan over medium heat until hot (or use 2 frying pans simultaneously); add 1 unwrapped dough round. Cook dough round until bottom looks dry and is covered with large brown spots, about 3 minutes. Turn bread over; cook until bottom is browned, for 2 or 3 more minutes.
If bread puffs, pierce bulges to release steam and gently press flat with a spatula. If making ahead, let crusts cool on racks; store airtight at room temperature up to 1 day.
Place crusts on baking sheets. Add red peppers to roasted vegetables and top cooked crusts with mixture, about 1 cup on each crust. Spread vegetables evenly over crusts, leaving about 1/2-inch crust border. Bake in 500-degree oven just until hot, about 5 minutes. Place on 4 dinner plates. Sprinkle arugula and Parmesan equally over plates; drizzle dressing over all. Serves 4.
Balsamic-Dijon dressing: Combine 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon olive or salad oil, and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; mix until well blended.
