Rustic Fig Pizza With Sprouted Kitchen

saramorris5

Story by saramorris5

Published on July 15, 2010 in Make

Photo by Hugh Forte

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You start a blog because you believe you have something worth sharing, whether it’s about design, a support group, food or the like. We are constantly learning, be it intentional or not, and I think the online community is a fascinating way that we all share with one another. I am not a professional cook with a resume full of experience; I figure my way through the kitchen via curiosity and mistakes. I read about food, linger through grocery stores reading labels, study cookbooks, watch TV shows and compile all of that influence to make something of my own. I find it creative and rewarding to share food with people.

I am most passionate about eating fresh, seasonal food because I believe it tastes better, and therefore improves the dining process overall. I don’t think food is just fuel to get through the day. We all get busy and sometimes make brownies out of a box — I get that. But cooking, eating, talking and sharing that process with people is inexplicably rewarding to me. My goal is to encourage people to cook, try new things and visit farmers’ markets so you can enjoy the best foods and feel healthy. Good food doesn’t have to be a fussy recipe or hard to find, pricey ingredients. I think that is the misconception that keeps people from cooking. 

I came up with this recipe as a crowd-pleasing dinner for entertaining. The crust has a nice nutty flavor from the whole wheat, a savory bite from the herbs, and if you aren’t partial to fresh figs or goat cheese, it is your canvas for any flavor combination you choose. Grilling pizza gets people involved in making a meal and requires no real “cooking” once the crust is done. It’s summer, go outside and eat dinner with good company. 

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Rustic Fig and Goat Cheese Pizza

Makes 2 large or 4 small pizzas

Dough:
2 cups unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 to 1 1/4 cup water
1 tsp./ half-packet quick rise yeast
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. sea salt
3 tbsp. fresh chopped chives

Goodies:
12 fresh figs, sliced
1/2 cup soft goat cheese
1/2 cup fresh shaved parmesan reggiano
1/4 cup red onion, VERY thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh chives
2 cups organic mache (lambs lettuce)
2 tbsp. balsamic vinega
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

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Turn your grill to medium high heat.

1. Make the dough according to instructions on Mark Bittman’s blog. Please note I used 2 cups unbleached flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour, which provides both a chewy and crispy texture when pulled thin enough. I also added fresh chives for a bit of color and zing. This needs to be done 2 hours in advance.

2. Once you’ve made your dough, divide it and pull it out to desired size. With your hands, rub a little bit of oil on one side, and put the oiled side down on the grill. Close the lid and grill for about 3 minutes.

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3. Flip the dough over and push the dough down with a spatula to create a thinner flatbread (if you desire… I desired). Evenly distribute the sliced figs, goat cheese, parmesan, chives and sliced red onion across the dough. Give it all a generous grind of pepper and sprinkle of salt. Close the lid and grill for another 6 to 8 minutes untill all toppings are melted and there are grill marks on the bottom of the dough.

4. In the meantime, toss the mache lettuce with the balsamic vinegar, olive oil and sprinkle of salt and pepper.

5. Remove the flatbreads and top with a hefty handful of the dressed mache. Chomp away while its hot!

About the author: Sara Morris is food loving, health craving, veggie fiend who loves the culture of enjoying a meal with friends and family. She has worked at a grocery store and two farms in her life and can attest to the fact that eating seasonally will change your belly. Her intention is to make food taste good by using healthy ingredients: whole grains, unsaturated fats, natural sugar alternatives and the like. What she can promise on Sprouted Kitchen is that you will find recipes that ALWAYS use local ingredients and organic when found affordable. 

Recipes on the Blog | Plants and Edibles Category

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