Tagliatelle with Peas

Tagliatelle with Peas

Chef's Note: One of my favorite restaurants in Verona is Il Pompiere. They make a pasta dish when peas are in season that is thoroughly infused with their sweet flavor. Marco, the chef/owner, was kind enough to share his secret with me. It’s actually very simple. Once the peas are tender, half are pureed until creamy and mixed back into the sauce. When the pasta is tossed with the sauce, it absorbs all that delicious pea flavor, which is why I like using the wider tagliatelle noodles. Although you could make this with premium frozen peas, the sweet flavor of fresh peas is worth the extra time it takes to shell the peas.

• 1/2 medium yellow onion
• 4 tablespoons California Olive Ranch extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 3/4 pounds fresh peas (or 12 ounces frozen peas)
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 12 ounces dried egg tagliatelle or pappardelle

Directions

Step 1: Fill a pot for the pasta with about 6 quarts of water, place over high heat, and bring to a boil.
Step 2: Peel and finely chop the onion. Put the olive oil in a saucepan or deep 8-inch skillet, add the chopped onion, and place over medium heat. Sauté until the onion turns a rich golden color, about 5 minutes. While the onion is sautéing, shell the fresh peas, if using.
Step 3: When the onion is ready, add the peas and season generously with salt and pepper. Stir the peas well, then add about 1/2 cup water. Cook over medium heat until the peas are tender, adding water if it evaporates completely before they are done. It should take 15 to 20 minutes for the peas to become tender. (If using frozen peas, add water only once and cook for 6 to 8 minutes).
Step 4: When the peas are tender, remove from the heat, take out about half the peas, and puree them. A food mill will make the smoothest puree, but if you don’t have one you can use a food processor. Put the pureed peas back in the pan with the whole peas.
Step 5: Add about 2 tablespoons salt to the boiling pasta water, add the tagliatelle, and stir until all the strands are submerged. Cook until al dente. After the pasta has cooked for about 2 minutes, add 3/4 cup of the pasta water to the pan with the peas and stir well.
Step 6: When the pasta is done, drain well, toss with the sauce, and serve at once.

Recipe credit: Giuliano Hazan's Thirty Minute Pasta (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2009), by Giuliano Hazan

Reprinted with permission from the publisher



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Spaghetti With Tomato Sauce & Ricotta

Spaghetti With Tomato Sauce & Ricotta

Chef’s Note: Since this very simple dish relies heavily on its ingredients, look for good fresh ricotta and canned San Marzano tomatoes from Italy—they are extra-flavorful—at your local Italian market.

• One 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes
• 1 medium onion, halved
• 2 cloves garlic
• 4–6 tablespoons California Olive Ranch extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 pound spaghetti
• 1 cup fresh ricotta
• Chopped fresh parsley

Directions 

Step 1: Put the tomatoes into a heavy medium pot, rinse out the container with 2 cups water, and add it to the pot. Add the onions, garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Gently simmer over medium-low heat for about 1 hour. Adjust the seasonings. Add a little more olive oil to round out the flavor, if you like. Discard the onions and garlic.

Step 2: Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until just cooked, 10–12 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water. Toss the pasta with the tomato sauce until thoroughly coated. Add the reserved cooking water to loosen the sauce if it is too thick. Divide between 4 plates and top with a big soupspoonful of ricotta and some chopped parsley.

Recipe courtesy of Canal House Cooks Every Day (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2012), by Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hirsheimer 

Reprinted with permission from the authors

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Memphis BBQ - Sat Oct 13, 2012

Not Too Hot, Not Too Sweet
Lancaster Farming
D'Amato, self-described “pig mistress” of Lips & Hoovz BBQ Emporium in
West Manchester Township, York County, Pa., is a competition barbeque pit
master and certified barbecue judge in the Kansas City Barbeque Society and
Memphis Barbecue Network.
<http://www.lancasterfarming.com/B1013-Keystone-BBQ>



Butler Fest
WTOK
This is a Memphis BBQ Network & Alabama BBQ Association sanctioned event.
Over 75 vendors on the square will come from all over. Live entertainment
will be provided both days. Children's rides and adventures await the young
at heart at our carnival on ...
<http://www.wtok.com/templates/subCommunityEventPopup?c=y&ep=/community&eid=168827156>



A tip o' the ribs to Chicago barbecue
Washington Post
The inferiority complex implied by that term is deserved when it comes to
barbecue. Smoked-meat aficionados generally acknowledge four barbecue
capitals: Memphis, Kansas City, Texas and North Carolina. Chicago is, at
best, what you might call the Fifth ...
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/a-tip-o-the-ribs-to-chicago-barbecue/2012/10/08/c76cc72c-0bde-11e2-bd1a-b868e65d57eb_story.html>



Food and wine aplenty at Greenwich festival
Greenwich Time
At left, chef Francis Collymore of Big Bubba's BBQ, spreads Memphis
barbecue sauce on pork ribs while Raymond Lopez, an assistant chef, looks
on, during the second annual Greenwich Food and Wine Festival at Roger
Sherman Baldwin Park in Greenwich ...
<http://www.greenwichtime.com/news/article/Food-and-wine-aplenty-at-Greenwich-festival-3925362.php>



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Charred Corn on the Cob with Grilled Tomato Oil

Charred Corn on the Cob with Grilled Tomato Oil

For the corn 

• 4 ears corn, husks left on
• ½ cup Grilled Tomato Oil (recipe follows)

For the tomato oil

4 ripe plum tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup California Olive Ranch extra-virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped

1 large sprig fresh oregano or thyme

1/2 teaspoon honey

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

For the corn: Light a grill for direct medium-high heat, about 425°F. Grill the corn in their husks directly over the heat, turning every 5 minutes, until the husks are blackened all over, 15 to 18 minutes total. During the last 5 to 8 minutes, put on grill mitts and peel back the outer blackened husks to expose some of the corn kernels. Continue grilling until some of the corn kernels are browned and lightly charred.Remove from the grill and let cool slightly. Remove the husks and brush generously with the tomato oil.

For the tomato oil: Light a grill for direct medium-high heat, about 425°F. In a small bowl, toss the tomatoes with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Brush the grill grate and coat with oil. Grill the tomatoes, cut side down, directly over the heat until nicely grill-marked, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and grill until the other side is nicely marked, about 3 minutes more. Return to the bowl.

Transfer the grilled tomatoes and oil to a small food processor and puree until fairly smooth. Strain the sauce through a food mill or push gently through a fine-mesh sieve into a small saucepan, leaving behind much of the solids. Add the garlic and oregano to the pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain the liquid into a small container with a tight-fitting lid, such as a canning jar. Add the honey and salt, stirring until dissolved. Let cool, then whisk in the remaining olive oil. Refrigerate for up to 4 days. If the cold oil becomes cloudy, it will clear when returned to room temperature.

Chef's Notes: A grill is the best vessel you have for cooking corn. You don’t need to husk, soak, boil, or foil-wrap the corn. Just start the fire and throw the cobs on, husks and all. Close the lid and sit back. It will take about 15 minutes, and you will have to turn the cobs every 5 minutes or so, but that’s it. During that time the husks will char and send a sweet vegetal smoke through the corn. When they’re done, the husks will be burnt and you will hear steam hissing inside. You can let them sit for a minute or two and then peel and enjoy; or get some extra grill flavor by peeling back the husks and charring the corn briefly over the fire. Here, we serve the grilled corn with glistening, rose-colored oil, flavored and tinted with grilled tomato. 

Recipe credit and links: Fire It Up (Chronicle Books, 2011), by Andrew Schloss and David Joachim. Reprinted with permission from the publisher.

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Tuna Conserva Salad

Salads and Dressings

Tuna Conserva Salad

• 24 oz. tuna loin 
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• .5 oz. garlic cloves, chopped
• .5 oz. ginger, chopped
• .5 oz. orange zest
• 1 teaspoon chili flakes
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped

Combine all ingredients and rub into the tuna. Marinate in refrigerator for two hours. Remove from fridge and rinse the cure off the tuna. Pat dry with paper towels.

• 16 oz. California Olive Ranch extra virgin oil
• 2 branches fresh rosemary
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 clove garlic crushed in skins
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns

Combine all the ingredients in a deep narrow pot and heat until the oil reaches 170 degrees F. Maintain heat and add 16 oz. of the tuna to the pot. Reserve the other 8 oz. for the finish.

Cook the tuna at a constant heat until it is cooked well through. Remove from heat and let the tuna cool in the oil at room temperature. When the tuna is cool enough to handle remove from the oil and strain the oil. Gently flake the tuna into a bowl adding a bit of the oil to it and reserve. Strain the remaining oil and measure off 10 oz.

Saffron Aioli

10 oz. tuna-infused olive oil, cold
1 pinch saffron
1 egg
1 clove roasted garlic smashed smooth
1 lemon, juiced
salt

In a 32-oz. jar add the egg, saffron and lemon juice, purée with hand blender.
Slowly add the oil with the blender running to create an emulsion or mayonnaise. 

6 oz. reserved tuna oil8 oz. reserved tuna 

Reheat the reserved oil to 200 degrees F. in a pot that the tuna will be submerged in when added. Add the tuna and cook until it is evenly colored on all sides, about 3-4 minutes.
Remove from oil and slice. Drizzle with cooled cooking oil. Season with sea salt.

For the Salad

• 4 oz. haricots verts green beans
• 4 fingerling potatoes, boiled and quartered
• 2 oz. red onion, julienned (sliced into thin strips)
• 1oz. piquillo peppers, julienned
• 8 sweet cherry tomatoes, halved
• 20 taggiasca olives in olive oil, halved
• 4 oz. radicchio, torn into bite-sized pieces
• 4 oz. baby Arugula, washed and dried
• 2 oz. frisée, light green parts only washed and picked
• 1 oz. chives, cut into 1-inch pieces
• champagne vinegar, to taste
• reserved tuna cooking oil

Combine all ingredients and toss with a splash of vinegar and some of the reserved tuna cooking oil. Season with salt and pepper. Divide evenly on four plates. Arrange the flaked tuna conserva around the salad. Add a few slices of the rare tuna. Drizzle the whole salad with the aioli.

Recipe courtesy of Royden Ellamar, executive chef at Sensi, located at the Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas 

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Top 10 List: Fruits that are Good Candidates for Grilling

Posted on August 14, 2012

We go through dozens of peaches this time of year. We make peach ice cream, peach pie, peach barbecue sauce, and peach smoothies. We like peaches raw, too. They’re also our go-to fruit for grilling. We’ll halve each peach, brush it with extra virgin olive oil, and cook the halves until they have nice grill marks. Each then gets a dollop of peach BBQ sauce.

Photo by Steve Legato

We now want to try other fruits on the grill, because it turns out many are good candidates for live fire, according to Karen Adler and Judith Fertig, authors of The Gardener & The Grill(Running Press, 2011).

In the book, they list the Top 10 fruits “that translate well to the grill”:

Apples: Golden Delicious apples “are naturally sweet and stand up well to the heat of the grill,” Adler and Fertig write. Slice and core before grilling. Jonathan and Granny Smith can be stuffed and roasted over indirect heat.

Berries: Grill strawberries on skewers. They require only a minute or two and should be turned once. Smaller fruits like blueberries and blackberries can be stir-grilled in a basket.

Cherries: Sweet cherries should be pitted and skewered. Turn them once.

Citrus: Cut grapefruit, oranges, lemons and limes in half. Grill cut-side down “until the natural sugars caramelize.”

Figs: Grill whole or halved. Sweet figs work well as appetizers or desserts.

Grapes: Adler and Fertig suggest grilling “a whole cluster of grapes” until they have nice grill marks. Turn with tongs and repeat.

Melon: Grill slices of cantaloupe and honey dew “to bring out their sweetness.”

Pears: Grill “juicy ripe-but-still-firm pears” directly on the grill or on a plank. Use in salads or desserts.

Persimmons: For a flavor boost, cut Japanese persimmons, like the Fuyu variety, in half and grill.

Stone fruits: Apricots, peaches, plums and nectarines should be halved and pitted before going on the grill.

You can see Adler and Fertig’s Top 10 list for vegetables that are well suited for grilling by clicking here.

Bon appétit,

Your friends at California Olive Ranch

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Grilled Salmon with a Tequila-Infused Kick

Posted on July 31, 2012

When we think tequila we think margarita. We don’t ordinarily think of this Mexican spirit – made from the blue agave plant – as a pantry ingredient. But we’re changing our view after coming across this tequila-infused recipe for grilled salmon. It’s perfect for a warm summer evening – and you won’t need your stove. (Click here to see the recipe.)“In this rousing dish, bright citrus and classic seasonings do a hat dance with tequila around firm marinated salmon,” Jamie Purviance and Sandra S. McRae write in their fine book, Weber’s Big Book of Grilling (Chronicle Books, 2001).

The citrus is freshly squeezed orange juice, used in a marinade for the salmon. The marinade includes freshly chopped cilantro, minced jalapeno pepper, garlic, and cumin,

The salmon spends 30 to 45 minutes in the marinade before hitting the grill. The salmon is paired with a salad of mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, and cilantro.  It’s dressed with a combination of extra virgin olive oil, freshly squeezed lime juice, and chili powder. You could use one of our more robust oils – such as Arbosana or Miller’s Blend – to pair with this spicy dressing. (Click here to see the recipe.)

And, if you’re a tequila lover, you could mix up some margs to serve with the salmon!

Bon appétit,

Your friends at California Olive Ranch

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Arbosana Olive Oil Named Best of USA

Our Arbosana Olive Oil Named Best of USA in Global Competition

Posted on July 6, 2012

Time to share some big news: Our robust tasting Arbosana extra virgin olive oil was named Best U.S. Oil at the TerraOlivo international olive oil competition in Israel. It’s a big deal for us. (To celebrate, we’re offering a 20% discount on all online purchases of Arbosana this month; just type in the coupon code GRILLING when you check out.)

More than 400 extra virgin olive oils from 18 countries were submitted for the  competition. The judges, from 10 countries, analyzed the oils for attributes like aroma, flavor, harmony and complexity.

Bob Singletary, our Master Miller, says the weather last year was “perfect” for Arbsoana.
“The lack of rain later in the season meant that we didn’t lose any intensity in the flavor of the olives. We also didn’t have any cold snaps or rains,” Bob says.

“The good weather last fall also meant we could harvest the Arbosana olives at the perfect time.”
Our Arbosana, by the way, pairs well with grilled food (among other dishes, like soups and chocolate). Drizzle it on a grilled rib eye steak, for example.

“A robust extra virgin olive oil holds its own against the intensity of the meat,” olive oil aficionado Fran Gage notes in The New American Olive Oil (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2009).
Arbosana is milled from the Arbosana olive, a green olive originally from Spain.

This little olive yields oil that gives the back of your throat a very noticeable tickle when you taste it.

Hence the robust flavor. 
In addition to a grilled rib eye, we like to drizzle our Arbosana on bruschetta and atop soups. In terms of chocolate, try it as an ingredient, say, in chocolate almond torte or chocolate biscotti.

Our Arbosana olive oil is a more complex, robust tasting oil than our Arbequina, which is more delicate. And while Arbequina delivers flavors of tropical fruit and fresh artichoke, our Arbosana delivers flavors of fresh tomato and almonds.

In addition, the Arbosana olive is our No. 2 olive, accounting for 19% percent of the 12,000-plus acres of trees we have under cultivation. (Arbequina accounts for 78%.) Arbosana also is California’s No. 2 olive crop.

Getting back to food, here are Fran Gage’s suggestions for pairing food with robust oils, like Arbosana:

• Brushed atop bruschetta
• In the almond-laden Spanish sauce known as romesco
• With soups in general, as an ingredient and/or drizzled on top
• In the Spanish seafood medley paella
• With garlic mashed potatoes
• Drizzled on top of a grilled and sliced rib eye steak
• In biscotti as an ingredient
• In olive oil ice cream
• For all things chocolate – although chocolate is actually a special case, according to Gage. It pairs well with all types of olive oils. (Is there anything not to like about chocolate?)

Bon appétit,
Your friends at California Olive Ranch


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Tom's Tiny Kitchen Expands with Chipotle Pimento Cheese

Tom's Tiny Kitchen Expands with Chipotle Pimento Cheese

Posted by Susan Ellis on Mon, Jul 2, 2012 at 11:08 AM

Pimento cheese fans, listen up: Tom's Tiny Kitchen has recently added a chipotle-spiked version of its much-loved pimento cheese.

The chipotle adds a bit of heat, though nothing too intense, and a fine smokiness. Irresistible.

The chipotle pimento cheese sells for $7 and is available at the Cooper-Young Community Farmers Market, Agricenter International, and the Memphis Farmers Market.


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Pizza Party Opening soon: Hog and Hominy and Aldo’s Pizza Pies.

Pizza Party 

Opening soon: Hog and Hominy and Aldo’s Pizza Pies.

by Hannah Sayle

Justin Fox Burks

Hands-on at Hog and Hominy.

click to enlarge

• Justin Fox Burks
• 
  

Two of the most highly anticipated restaurants of the summer have one thing in common: pizza. If you're thinking it's time for a citywide pizza party, we're in lockstep.
 
Hog and Hominy, located directly across the street from Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen, is a casual, affordable way to sample what two of Memphis' most talented chefs, Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman, are whipping up.

Think of this little white house as an informal playground for Ticer and Hudman. They'll have Ghost River beer on tap served with crispy Buffalo fried pig ears, pork rinds, and popcorn. They've borrowed from their time in Italy and added sfoglia, a thin sheet of pasta rolled up with ingredients of your choosing. And if you really want to see them improvise, you can sit at one of the four reserved seats by the open kitchen and let Ticer or Hudman serve you tasting plates in a four- or seven-course meal.

But, of course, there are the pizzas, done Naples-style with a brick oven Ticer and Hudman built. The chef de cuisine, Trevor Anderson, mans the brick oven, built from the house's original brick chimney. Perfectly crusted pizzas come out fast — they only take three minutes to cook — dressed with a variety of sauces and toppings.

Fresh tomatoes, tomato sauce, or white sauce make up the base of each pizza. Toppings range from seasonal vegetables to house-made pepperoni. In fact, just about everything that can be made on the premises is done just so: Hand-pulled mozzarella tops the pizzas; the pizza dough is made daily with fresh yeast from Gibson's doughnuts; and the lardo topping is made in-house.

The eatery's décor befits the laid-back concept, with a cool industrial design and reclaimed wood accents, four unobtrusive flat-screen televisions, and a bocce court edging the side of the building. The prices are similarly casual. A pizza will run you somewhere between $10 and $15; shared plates range from $8 to $12; and some of the snack options ring in as low as $2 a piece.

Hog and Hominy will be open in mid-July and stay open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to whenever. Ticer says they're keeping the closing hours flexible because they want to cater to people in the food industry.

Hog and Hominy may be a casual date spot or a place for little league pizza parties, but Ticer and Hudman hope it will always be a place for restaurant workers to grab a bite of good, non-drive-thru food after a long night of work.
Hog and Hominy, 707 W. Brookhaven Circle (347-3569)
hogandhominy.com
 
Aldo's Pizza Pies, located on the bottom floor of the Barboro Flats Apartments downtown, will bring a much-needed dose of pizzeria-style eating to the Main Street Mall. This casual-dining spot is the latest endeavor by Aldo Dean, who owns two other popular spots, Bardog Tavern and Slider Inn.
"I'm crazy. I should probably have my head examined," says Dean, who has now opened three restaurants back-to-back. "But we really feel like we're filling a niche downtown."

While Bardog and Slider Inn could technically be classified as bars with restaurants, Dean says he plans on making Aldo's more of a restaurant with a bar. Downtowners will have a place to get solid Naples-style pizza and choose between dining in the spacious, comfort-meets-cool pizza parlor or grabbing a slice to go for a Main Street stroll.

Pizzas come in 12-inch and 18-inch and will have all the traditional toppings as well as some unusual ones, including tofu, jerk chicken, and shrimp. A pizza with honey, pear, and cheese will be on the dessert menu, along with their cheesecakes. And Dean is working on a number of small plates and sandwiches, from an eggplant sandwich to an authentic Philly cheese steak. There will be a full bar with a cocktail menu based on Italian liqueurs, 29 beers on tap, and Abita root beer on tap for root beer floats.

As for why he decided to call it Aldo's Pizza Pies, Dean says the "pie" part is a nod to his hometown of Trenton, New Jersey, famous for its tomato pie. The crust will be thin, a lot like the pizza you get in New York but based on the traditional Naples pizza. It's a style he picked up after attending a weeklong intensive pizza course at the American Institute of Baking.
Aldo's will open in mid-July for lunch, dinner, take-out, and eventually delivery, every day from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and until midnight on the weekends.
Aldo's Pizza Pies, 100 S. Main

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GRILLED SALSA-MARINATED DRUMSTICKS

@WholeFoods: If you plan on grilling for the 4th, then...
GRILLED SALSA-MARINATED DRUMSTICKS:
http://bit.ly/LK5poR

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Review of Pearl's Oyster House - Memphis

Review of Pearl's Oyster House - Memphis (5/5) on Yelp:
Awesome char broiled oysters and soup. Pricey ...
http://bit.ly/O9DBej


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Rustic Paella

A Rustic Paella That Won’t Keep You in the Kitchen All Day

Posted on June 5, 2012

Count us among those who recall each time we’ve sat down to have paella. The famed Spanish dish is a showstopper. Moreover, making it is easier than you think. Mediterranean food guru Joyce Goldstein notes paella “need not be an elaborate and expensive dish.” (Click here to see rustic paella recipe.)

Photograph Copyright 2006 by Joyce Oudkerk Pool http://www.jopstudio.com/

“Some of the very best paellas are the simplest, combining just rice, chicken, and mussels, with a few added beans or peas,” Joyce says in the book Perfect Pairings (University of California Press, 2006), written by her son: the noted sommelier Evan Goldstein.

Joyce created the recipes for the book, which features food and wine pairings. And looking through the paella recipe backs Joyce’s contention that it need not be pricey or complicated. It combines chicken, shrimp, and clams (or mussels) along with rice, tomatoes (canned are fine), peas or beans, wine, and herbs and spices like saffron. (Click here to see the recipe.)

For this dish, Evan Goldstein recommends serving an “excellent all around” Sangiovese wine. And just like wine, different olive oils pair well with different foods. We’d recommend using one of our more robust oils to prepare this paella, such as our Miller’s Blend or Arbosana.

If you want to read more about pairing olive oil and wine with different foods – and get some excellent recipes – have a look at our June eNewsletter. (Click here to see the June eNews.) We showcase California olive oil and wine. As a maker of California extra virgin olive oil, we like to tell people the Golden state makes more than great wine!

Bon appétit,

Your friends at California Olive Ranch

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Review of Johnny G's Creole Kitchen - Memphis

Review of Johnny G's Creole Kitchen - Memphis (5/5) on Yelp:
Great experience - my wife and I were coming...
http://bit.ly/M1KtJM

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Review of Cafe 1912 - Memphis

Review of Cafe 1912 - Memphis (5/5) on Yelp:
This place is amazing. My boyfriend and I have eaten her...
http://bit.ly/LnaCQG

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Gibson's Donuts - Memphis

Review of Gibson's Donuts - Memphis (5/5) on Yelp:
I have lived in Memphis for three years and this ...
http://bit.ly/JLA4SJ

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Review of The Cheese Cake Corner - Memphis

Review of The Cheese Cake Corner - Memphis (4/5) on Yelp:
A Memphis diamond in the rough. I honestly ha...
http://bit.ly/KWFk43

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Review of Memphis Farmer's Market - Memphis

Review of Memphis Farmer's Market - Memphis (4/5) on Yelp:
The Memphis Farmer's market is a nice ma...
http://bit.ly/Lkeu4T

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Review of Sicily's - West Memphis

Review of Sicily's - West Memphis (4/5) on Yelp:
I love this place! Anything I order there tastes gr...
http://bit.ly/Lkevpj

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Pizza Margherita

Heirloom Tomatoes, Basil & Fresh Mozzarella

Makes four 10" pizzas

• 2 pounds fresh tomatoes, heirloom or garden
• Sea salt
• Black pepper, cracked
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup fresh basil, torn into pieces
• 1 pound fresh mozzarella
• 1 recipe Silver Oak Pizza Dough
• Extra olive oil for brushing crust

1. Cut tomatoes into quarters and crush the pieces by hand into a mixing bowl. Add sea salt, black pepper, olive oil and basil. Mix thoroughly.
2. Slice the fresh mozzarella thin and pat dry with paper towels.
3. Prepare your wood or home oven and spin the pizza dough to the desired thickness (see Silver Oak Pizza Dough).
4. Spread the chopped tomatoes over the pizza dough leaving a 1-inch space around the rim. Layer with slices of fresh mozzarella.
5. Bake pizza.
6. Remove from oven, brush rim of pizza with olive oil and serve immediately

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