Saturday, July 17, 2010

Last Night's Dinner: Red Onion, Zucchini, and Goat Cheese Pizza

Following through on my promise to myself to make as many vegetable pizzas as I could this summer, I put this one together last night. Some of the zucchini at Quail Hill have grown to be the size of watermelons, but when I was picking my share I chose the more petite squashes. For the pizza, I sliced the slender zucchini into very thin rounds. Thicker slices may have given off too much water in the hot oven, making my pizza soggy. Chopped fresh thyme and kalamata olives stirred into the onions added some Mediterranean flavor and salty bite. I've gone through many containers of the pitted olives at the IGA this summer--they add so much to vegetarian main dishes. Here is the recipe:

1/4 cup olive oil
4 medium red onions
Salt
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
2 small zucchini (yellow and/or green), trimmed and sliced thin
6 ounces fresh goat cheese
1 pound homemade or frozen pizza dough, thawed

1. Place a baking stone in the oven and preheat to 525 degrees. Line a baker's peel or rimless baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper.
2.Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft and beginning to brown, about 20 minutes. Stir in the olives and thyme and set aside to cool.
3. Combine the zucchini, remaining tablespoon olive oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl and toss to coat.
4. Lightly flour the parchment-lined peel or baking sheet. Use floured hands to press and stretch the dough into a 14-inch round. Arrange the onions on top of the dough. Scatter the zucchini pieces over the onions. Crumble the cheese over the zucchini. Slide the pizza, still on the parchment, onto the preheated baking stone and bake until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling and golden, about 15 minutes.

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