Kumquats Spring Pizza With Asparagus And Artichoke Hearts Food

KUMQUAT'S ROASTED ARTICHOKE HEARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Empty artichoke hearts into colander, rinse a bit to remove brine and drain well.
• Mix gently with olive oil and garlic slices.
• Place artichoke mix in metal roasting pan and roast for about 1 hour or more, or until artichokes start to brown. Toss once or twice if desired.
• To make breadcrumbs, toast one slice or so of a good quality, dense bread such as sourdough or panzanella or whole wheat(or use day old bread). Tear into pieces and toss into blender. Blend until processed into fine crumbs.
• Melt butter over medium-low heat in non-stick pan and add bread crumbs. Toss a few minutes until slightly browned (this will depend on how well your bread was toasted).
• Remove from heat and add parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind, vegetable broth, thyme, salt and pepper. Mix well.
• When artichokes are done roasting, remove from oven and increase oven temperature to 450°F Toss artichokes gently with juice of 1/2 lemon and then with breadcrumb mixture. Place artichokes in single layer of a 2 quart square baking pan. Sprinkle any remaining breadcrumb mixture over top.
• Bake for 15 minutes or so until warm and cheese has melted.

PIZZA WITH SHRIMP, BACON AND ARTICHOKE HEARTS

Steps:

• At least 45 minutes before cooking, preheat the oven and pizza stone to 550 degrees.
• Melt the butter in a small sauté pan over high heat until it foams. Add the shrimp and garlic, season with salt and cook for about a minute, shaking the pan, until the shrimp just start to color. Transfer to a bowl.
• Place the bacon in the pan and set over high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until brown and crispy. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a small bowl.
• Place the dough on a heavily floured surface and stretch and pull, using your hands or a rolling pin, into about a 14-inch round. Place on a lightly floured pizza peel or rimless baking sheet. Cover with the toppings, being careful not to press on the dough and weigh it down: the bacon first, then the artichoke hearts, the shrimp, the cheese and finally the oregano, leaving roughly a 1/2-inch border. Shake the pizza peel slightly to make sure the dough is not sticking. (Gently lift any sections that are sticking and sprinkle the peel with flour.) Slide the pizza directly onto the baking stone in one quick, forward-and-back motion. Cook until the crust has browned on the bottom and the top is bubbling and browning in spots, about 7 minutes. Drizzle the pie with a little olive oil and some pepper. Serve hot.

INDIVIDUAL SAUSAGE, TOMATO, AND ARTICHOKE-HEART PIZZAS

Steps:

• Make the crust:
• In a food processor combine 1/2 cup of the flour and the yeast, with the motor running add the water, and turn the motor off. Add the oil, the sugar, the salt, and the remaining 1 cup flour, blend the mixture until it forms a ball, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough 8 to 10 times, form it into a ball, and let it rest while making the sausage mixture.
• In a small heavy skillet cook the sausage over moderate heat, stirring, until it is cooked through, transfer it with a slotted spoon to a bowl, and discard all but 1 tablespoons of the fat remaining in the skillet. In the fat cook the onion, the garlic, the orégano, the basil, and salt and pepper to taste over moderately low heat, stirring, until the onion is soft and transfer the onion mixture to the bowl.
• Halve the dough, form each half into a ball, and stretch each ball into 7-inch round, making the rounds slightly thicker around the edges. Transfer the rounds to a baking sheet (preferably black steel, for a crisper crust), oiled and sprinkled lightly with the cornmeal, top the rounds evenly with the sausage mixture, the tomatoes, the artichoke hearts, the mozzarella, the Parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste, and bake the pizzas on the bottom rack of a preheated 500°F. oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the crusts are golden brown.

PLAIN ROASTED ARTICHOKE HEARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Drain artichokes in colander and rinse a bit to remove brine.
• Mix gently with garlic and olive oil in a bowl.
• Pour artichoke mixture in a metal roasting pan and roast for about one hour, tossing a few times if desired.
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and add lemon juice and butter (if using).

GRILLED SPRING PIZZA WITH ASPARAGUS, LEEKS AND PANCETTA

Steps:

• Fill a vase or large glass with cold water and soak the leeks for about 3 minutes to remove any grit.
• Meanwhile, run a vegetable peeler down the asparagus stalks to create ribbons and place in a medium bowl. Add the zest of half the lemon, the juice of the whole lemon and 1 tablespoon oil. Toss together and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Rinse the leeks well after soaking and thinly slice into half-moons.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and just lightly golden, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl or plate and let cool to room temperature. Wipe out the skillet.
• Line a plate with paper towels. Put 1 tablespoon oil and the pancetta in the same skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until golden brown and crispy, 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to the prepared plate to drain and cool.
• Brush a large grill pan with 1 tablespoon oil and preheat over medium-high heat.
• On a lightly floured surface, stretch the pizza dough into a long oval or rectangle to fit the grill pan. Brush the dough with 1 tablespoon oil and place oiled-side down onto the grill pan. Grill until charred and golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Brush the dough with 1 tablespoon oil.
• Lower the heat to medium. Flip the dough with a spatula. Top with the fontina, leek mixture and pancetta. Cover with an inverted baking sheet and cook until the bottom of the dough is charred and the cheese melts, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Top the pizza with the lemony asparagus. Garnish with Parmigiano-Reggiano, red pepper flakes and a drizzle of honey if desired. Slice and serve.

ASPARAGUS, ARTICHOKE, AND MUSHROOM SAUTE WITH TARRAGON VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• For the Vegetable Saute: Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and the garlic and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and asparagus to the pan and cook until tender. Add the artichoke hearts and season with salt and pepper, then cook until the artichoke hearts are heated through. Remove the skillet from the heat, then add in the tomatoes and stir to warm them up.
• For the Tarragon Vinaigrette: Combine the oil, vinegar, tarragon, salt and pepper in a glass screw-top jar. Seal the jar and shake vigorously to mix the vinaigrette.
• Toss the vegetables with the vinaigrette and serve.

PROSCIUTTO, MUSHROOM AND ARTICHOKE PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• In a frying pan, heat 2 tbsp of the oil.
• Saute the scallions, mushrooms and garlic over moderate heat until all the juices have evaporated.
• Salt and pepper lightly.
• Let cool.
• Brush the pizza dough with 1 tbsp oil.
• Arrange the prosciutto, mushrooms and artichokes on top.
• Sprinkle the Parmesan over, then drizzle the remaining oil over and season again lightly with salt and pepper.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes.
• Serve immediately!

SPRING VEGETABLE PIZZAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a medium bowl, combine artichoke hearts, asparagus, and tomatoes. On a large piece of parchment paper, brush 1 dough half with artichoke-heart marinade and roll out to a 14-inch-long oval. Transfer dough on parchment to a rimmed baking sheet and top with half the vegetables, leaving a 1-inch border. Brush border with marinade and season pizza with salt and pepper. Repeat to make second pizza. Bake pizzas 10 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Sprinkle pizzas with cheese and bake until crust is deep golden and cheese is melted, 3 to 5 minutes.