Gouda, Spicy Maple Bacon, and Roasted Green Onion Pizza

I love seasonal ingredients. Living in southern California and Arizona for most of my life, I never really get to experience the beauty of the changing of seasons.  Choosing seasonal ingredients is a way I get to join in on the fun.

For me, summer equals tomatoes, watermelon, and corn.

I grew up loving tomatoes, and having neighbors who homegrow the most amazing varieties in their garden was a definite perk. As we’re getting to the end of summer, I thought I’d use the end of the year’s crop of tomatoes for a homemade pizza sauce.

Tipsy Pizza Sauce:

6-8 Tomatoes: peeled, seeded, and crushed

I used a Dafel variety from our neighbors that have been peeled in my fridge for a couple of days, but any will do. Peeling is especially important late in summer because the skins tend to get thicker in my experience.

1 can Tomato Paste

1/3  cup  Red Wine, I used a local Sangiovese from Orfila Vineyards

2 tablespoons Brown Sugar

2 tablespoons dried Minced Onion

Pinch of Fennel Seed

I like to grind my fennel seed in a mortar and pestle because I feel like it releases that robust licorice flavor in the seed. If you don’t have a mortar, you can just use the backside of a spoon on a cutting board.

Heavy pinch of Dried Oregano

Pinch of Dried Basil

Pinch of Parsley Flakes

2 Cloves of Garlic, minced

4-5 Pink Peppercorns, cracked (you can use mortar/pestle or spoon method described above, or freshly cracked black pepper is fine)

Sea Salt, to taste

Mix all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer on low for 15 minutes to blend flavors.

You can store or freeze any leftovers; or for a quick dinner or lunch, mix with cooked frozen meatballs and top with provolone for a great meatball sub.

PIZZAS

I’m still on the lookout for the perfect homemade dough, but this one is pretty good, easy to work with, and can be made quickly. The website also has great step-by-step directions with pictures.

http://www.annamariavolpi.com/pizza_recipe.html

Gouda, Spicy Maple Bacon, & Roasted Green Onion Pizza

6 oz. Gouda cheese, shredded

4 slices Spicy Maple Bacon (see below)

3 Whole Green Onions, roasted (see below)

Preheat oven to 500°. Crumble bacon and rough-chop the Onions. Smear pizza dough with ¾ c. tipsy pizza sauce and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, evenly distribute the gouda, and sprinkle the bacon on top. Return to oven and bake for another 10 minutes. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Spicy Maple Bacon

Place bacon slices on a cooling rack on a shallow metal baking pan lined with foil. Bake in a 400° oven for 14 minutes. Remove, and brush-on real maple syrup with a silicone brush. Sprinkle with a small amount of cayenne pepper, then brush over again with the brush to evenly distribute the spice. Bake 5 minutes, turn over and brush with syrup/cayenne again, then bake 5 more minutes. Remove and let cool. 

Roasted Green Onions

Smear green onions with EVOO, and season with salt and pepper. Put on a cookie sheet and roast in your 400° oven for 20 minutes. Remove and cool. 

I also made a simple Fresh Mozzarella with the tipsy sauce, and a tomato and mozzarella with EVOO instead of sauce.