summered out
Recipe: corn and prosciutto pizza
Every June when the backcountry snow begins to thin and our minds turn to hiking rather than skiing, I look forward to summer’s arrival. I am ready for it. I love the idea of summer. Summer sounds great to me. By the end of July, I’ve had my fill of summer. I know summer lovers outnumber winter lovers the way extroverts outnumber introverts, but kids… I’ll have my autumn now, thanks. Just the other day it was raining and 59°F outside. Delicious. Even though our summers are pretty short here in the Colorado high country, I would gladly give up a month of summer in exchange for a month of autumn. But that’s not happening in the foreseeable future. So while I wait for autumn’s (hopefully early) arrival, we continue on.
Kaweah had her summer stink going on something fierce, so we decided it was high time for her to get a bath. She hates baths. When we take her outside, she’s happy enough just standing around sniffing the news on the air, lazily wagging her tail. Then she catches sight of THE HOSE. She notices Jeremy carrying THE BOTTLES of shampoo and conditioner and she spies THE TOWELS in the driveway. Kaweah then starts to walk back toward the front door. No matter how you call her, entice her, try to give her a little push, she digs in with all her might and won’t go an inch in the direction of the hose.
so jeremy has to intervene and carry her
kaweah has a habit of not looking at things she really likes and things she really hates
thought bubble would be “blarg!!!”
We now have a clean puppy who smells like lavender Buddy Wash and the trauma of the bath is forgotten until the next time. Kaweah doesn’t get baths as often as she used to because she doesn’t get filthy going on hikes with us anymore. It breaks my heart every single time we leave her at home, because she knows what it means when we grab our packs and don our trail runners. She used to stand at the baby gate and wag her tail, hopeful to the last second that she too would come with us. Now that she knows the routine, she curls up comfortably in her doggy bed and rests her chin on the bumper, watching us go. This is great incentive for us to hike faster so we can get home to be with our pup.
trails like this beckon to me
some of the loot this time of year in the high country (more porcini!)
When it’s warm, I tend to get lazy with the whole cooking thing. The grill sees a lot more action than the stove or oven, and I obsess over local seasonal produce like corn, tomatoes, melons, peaches, and berries (because they are so damn good). The other day, my friend emailed me that she and a friend had a wonderful meal at Pizzeria Locale. Oh yes, I love that place. My favorite pizza to order there is the Mais – corn, prosciutto, garlic chives, and crème fraîche. And suddenly, I had a craving for pizza.
let’s make pizza: pizza dough, corn, butter, red pepper, parmesan, salt, pepper, prosciutto, mozzarella
slice the kernels off the cob
I made a few adjustments to the pizza based on what I had on hand. For one thing, my corn was fresh off the cob. Instead of crème fraîche, I just used softened unsalted butter. And I omitted garlic chives, but perhaps next time I’ll use a garlic butter base instead of plain butter. In any case, I must emphasize that fresh corn on pizza is AWESOME. Do this now while corn is in season and delightfully sweet!
roll out the pizza dough (toss it if you like)
spread butter on the dough
season with salt and pepper
You can tell how much we’ve been making pizza in the last year by my pizza dough tossing skills (I mean skillz). I can toss straight up instead of four feet to my right. They actually spin around a vertical axis (or spin azimuthally) and stretch radially. And I can catch the dough without accidentally folding it back into a ball. One thing to keep in mind as you build your pizza – don’t put too much stuff on it. The more toppings you pile on the more likely your crust will burn and the toppings will not cook through.
sprinkle the corn over the pizza
top with prosciutto
pop it onto the pizza stone (on the grill or in the oven)
Here’s a little bit of advice. Put the corn down first and then add the cheese. We discovered that the kernels get hot, puff up, and go jumping off the pizza in the grill. ZING! One kernel barely missed Jeremy’s eye when he went to get the pizza off the grill. They tend to behave a little better when they are under the cheese. Either way, do watch out for hot flying kernels of corn.
straight off the grill
a dusting of parmesan and red pepper flakes
I’m sure this pizza would have been fabulous with garlic chives and crème fraîche, but it’s delightful without them too. The buttery base and creamy mozzarella play again the sweet, crisp bites of corn and the salty prosciutto. The addition of a little heat from the red pepper flakes and the tang of grated parmesan rounds out the pizza perfectly. Definitely make this one while good, sweet corn is still available.
try a slice
you’ll like it!
Corn Prosciutto Pizza
[print recipe]
inspired by Pizzeria Locale
flour or cornmeal for the pizza peel
2 half-pound balls olive oil pizza dough (see below) or any pizza dough you prefer
2 tbsps butter, softened
salt and pepper
fresh kernels from 1 cob of corn
8 oz. mozzarella cheese, sliced
6 thin slices prosciutto
olive oil pizza dough
from Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg, M.D., and Zoë François
3 1/6 cups or 25.3 oz. (725 g) water at 100°F
1 tbsp (10 g) granulated yeast
1 1/2 tbsps (25 g) kosher salt
1/3 cup or 2.5 oz. (70 g) olive oil
7 1/2 cups or 38 oz. (1080 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
Make the dough: In a mixing bowl or the vessel you plan to store your dough, measure that the water is 100°F. Add the yeast and salt to the water. Stir in the olive oil. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon, Danish dough whisk, or use the paddle attachment on a stand mixer. Make sure all of the flour is incorporated (you may have to use your hands if stirring with a spoon), but don’t knead the dough. It goes quickly if using the mixer. If you didn’t mix your dough in your storage container, transfer the dough to that container. Cover the container with a non-airtight lid and let the dough rise at room temperature for two hours or until the dough flattens on top. Don’t punch the dough down! Refrigerate the dough with the non-airtight lid. It should be good for the next 14-days (it will deflate, but that’s okay). Makes enough dough for eight 1/2-pound balls of dough.
Make the pizzas: Get all of your toppings together first to minimize the amount of time the dough spends on the peel (because it will stick). Preheat your pizza stone in the bottom third of the oven to 550°F. Sprinkle your pizza peel with cornmeal or flour (to prevent sticking). Now sprinkle some flour over the surface of your refrigerated dough. Reach in, grab a handful of the dough, and pull up. Using kitchen shears or a knife, cut off about a half pound of dough (the size of a large orange). Add a little flour to your hands and gently stretch the top of the dough down around to the bottom on all sides. It’s like you’re petting the top of the dough, stroking it down and tucking it under the bottom. Turn 90 degrees and repeat until you have a nice and smooth ball. Flatten the dough on a floured work surface or onto the peel and roll it out to 1/8-inch thickness. Transfer the dough to your peel if it isn’t on there already and roll or shape it to a 12-inch diameter. Add more flour as you work to keep the dough from sticking to the peel. If you are comfortable tossing the dough, then do so.
Spread 1 tablespoon of butter evenly over the dough. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the dough. Sprinkle corn kernels over the pizza dough (if you put the corn on top of the cheese, it tends to pop and fly off the pizza when you bake it). Place slices of mozzarella on the corn, but don’t overdo it. Tear up two to three slices of prosciutto and scatter them over the pizza. Shake the peel to make sure the pizza is not sticking (if it is, gently use a dough scraper or a knife to unstick it and toss a little cornmeal or flour underneath the trouble spot between the dough and the peel. Set the tip of the peel on the far end of the pizza stone and give it a jiggle so that the pizza begins to slide off and the edge is resting on the stone. Pull the peel out from under the pizza at an angle (to encourage the pizza to disengage). Bake for 8-10 minutes, but check for doneness. Take care when you open the door of the grill or the oven – some of the corn kernels are hot and ready to launch (so protect your eyes). Remove from heat and serve. Repeat for the second pizza. Makes two 12-inch pizzas.
more goodness from the use real butter archives
|
the woodward pizza |
|
barbecue chicken pizza |
|
porcini pizza |
|
the roadrunner (pepperoni and green chile) pizza |
August 4th, 2013 at 11:49 pm
Those are some impressive pizza topping skills, wow! :)
This combo of toppings looks AMAZING – so delicious! :)
August 5th, 2013 at 4:26 am
Absolutely love the photo of Jeremy and Kaweah; why do dogs always look like they’re on the way to the scaffold when they’re being forced to do something they don’t want to? The not-looking-at-things-they-love/hate may be a Lab thing; our dog Maggie does it too, especially when she’s been told not to do something she Really Wants to Do – like waiting to eat the treat I’ve put on her paw until I tell her she can. I think she’s afraid that if she looks at the treat, it will hypnotically overpower her and she’ll be supernaturally forced to eat it against her will, regardless of the consequences – and she just knows that I’m not going to see things quite that way…
August 5th, 2013 at 5:27 am
First of all, I COMPLETELY AGREE with you about summer! In fact, I am constantly saying that I should live in CO rather than PA this time of year because of my disdain for what seems like a loooooong season of hotness and humidity. Blech.
And, second of all, I think I should just see what you make every day and copy it because, except for the grass jelly (I tried. No thanks.), we have the same food tastes. Making this pizza SOON!
August 5th, 2013 at 5:48 am
I think Jeremy & Kaweah have the same expression on their faces. The pizza looks so good, and I’m sure I will love it! Question: having just returned from Colorado, and having been on a narrow, edge of the mountain-hugging, gravel-covered trail, I’m wondering if you enjoy hiking those kinds of trails, or if you stick to lovely trails that look like the one in your photo. I prefer the kind in the photo!
August 5th, 2013 at 6:09 am
Yum!! I have never thought of putting corn on pizza. Brilliant.
Simba hates baths, too. She sends her pup-to-pup sympathy to Kaweah.
And I am SO with you on summer. Bring on Autumn – a nice long one, please – my favorite season! Bring out my Grandma cane – but when I moved here almost 40 years ago the summer days weren’t so hot and it would rain a bit every afternoon ushering in cool, lovely evenings…
August 5th, 2013 at 8:20 am
Haha, ohhhh poor Kaweah. Baths are traumatic for our little doggy, too! He also pulls the trick where he thinks that if he doesn’t look at something, it can’t exist — like if I have to go out running errands and he doesn’t want me to leave? He will hide in the bathroom and turn his head away from making eye contact. Makes me feel so guilty ;)
This pizza sound just perfect! I wouldn’t have thought to put butter as the “sauce” but of course butter and corn are two peas in a pod! We love grilled pies too, to keep the heat out of the house… it’s a skill I’m still honing, but practice is so delicious. This combination sounds killer! Love the inspiration you bring!
August 5th, 2013 at 9:37 am
I think I will make this for dinner tonight and use turkey bacon instead, because that is all I have. My favorite picture is Kaweah looking straight ahead while being washed. She doesn’t look too upset. My dog, however, did not like his baths for sure. He would whine and whine….it cracks me up. Oh, how much I miss our fine, old dog and the way he liked to sun bathe in the backyard!
August 5th, 2013 at 10:17 am
Aaahhh! I bought corn at the farmers market this weekend to make pizza. what a coincidence. thank you so much!
August 5th, 2013 at 12:21 pm
oh my goodness, what an awesome idea…
August 5th, 2013 at 3:20 pm
I hope Autumn comes soon also as I anticipate seeing you capture Colorado’s beautiful foliage. You’ve got one more winter lover over here! In NJ it’s been taking slightly longer for leaves to turn due to warmer temperatures which is making me sad. BTW I love the bubbles on you pizza crust! That’s the piece I’d always want.
August 5th, 2013 at 5:56 pm
I am really loving the rain too! That pizza looks soooo good. Gotta pick up some corn from the farmer’s market!
August 5th, 2013 at 6:35 pm
Oh yes!!! That’s my favorite pizza there too!
Love that you manage to get my fave recipes
around town (The Kitchen lamb burger – check!)
Keep it up! And I absolutely cannot wait to make
this myself.
August 5th, 2013 at 9:48 pm
And today I finally had my first ear of the season of Olathe corn. So good and so perfect for this pizza. Yhat’s my favorite one, too! I have to bathe my dog every other day because of allergies. She is thrilled when it is over!
August 6th, 2013 at 1:14 am
such a delicious pizza…all our fave. ingredients on top…yummmm….the crust recipe is new to us…will try it out soon, thanks for posting :-)
August 6th, 2013 at 9:24 am
I love a grilled pizza on a stone. I rue the day I loaned our stone to my sister! Ah well, I know where to buy another. Yum…will try corn next time, with goggles!
August 7th, 2013 at 12:25 am
This sounds delicious! Is granulated yeast the same as instant yeast? And did you use fresh mozz for this, or the melty, grocery store variety?
August 7th, 2013 at 7:19 pm
Beautiful pie!
August 10th, 2013 at 2:34 pm
Beautiful Porcini!
August 12th, 2013 at 11:35 am
I have some garlic chives in the garden…I think I’m going to have to make this one.
August 12th, 2013 at 3:07 pm
Our dog is also terrified of the hose, but she loves to swim.
Is the dough a good flat crust? I’ve been searching and found one this past weekend that worked well here at our altitude, but I LOVE the idea of yours (lasting in the refrigerator for so long). Thanks! We love your recipes!
August 13th, 2013 at 10:24 am
This pizza sounds amazingly delicious! I also prefer autumn over summer. I can’t wait to get back to that cool, crisp air and see the beautiful colors of the leaves.
August 16th, 2013 at 12:00 am
sara – ha! Thanks!
Helen – I believe there was a study many decades ago where children were left alone with a marshmallow in a room and told they could have two marshmallows if they didn’t eat the one. Some kids tried to fight the temptation by not looking at the marshmallow. I wonder if it’s the same logic? :)
Jen – East coast summer has always been miserable to me, mainly because of the humidity, but also because of the heat. Yeah, the grass jelly is an acquired taste for some!
Kristin – I think they have the same expression too, it’s so funny. Well, I quite enjoy all manner of trails. Knife edges are especially invigorating and beautiful. We also love scrambling or climbing up trails. That said, the trails I hate most are the ones that go through muddy bogs with grasses as tall as (or taller than) myself and loads of mosquitoes. I just did one the other day and swore out loud I would not do that trail again unless it was under 5 feet of snow.
Cindi – awww, thanks Simba <3 And you're not a cane-waving Grandma :)
Sophie - thank you!
Pey-Lih - Kaweah has a way of looking very cute despite her misery.
laura b - you're welcome :)
Rocky Mountain Woman - corn!!!
Lauren - Oh, the bubble is the part I try to avoid (because there are no toppings). ha ha!!
Adrienne - mmmm, corn...
Blaire - :)
Abbe - isn't that the best corn?! I love it.
Kumar's Kitchen - you're welcome!
jill - you should make sure that while she's using your pizza stone, she's making you a pizza!
Colleen - the yeast is the active dry yeast. I'm not sure if that is the same as instant yeast. The mozzarella is a fresh mozz.
Margie - thanks.
Sandra - yes, they are such lovely mushrooms!
Mary - mmm, that sounds fantastic.
Robin - I believe it makes a good flat crust, but not entirely sure (as I haven't tried it). You should take a look at Zoe's book (the one that the dough comes from) because she has lots of recipes for flatbreads too.
Melanie - me too!
August 20th, 2013 at 5:40 am
Knife edge! So THAT is what those trails are called! Pretty sure I wouldn’t like a boggy mosquitoey one either.
September 1st, 2013 at 10:08 pm
Did you say the dough will be good in the fridge for the next 14-days? that means pizza on a whim for 2 weeks! Awesome!
September 3rd, 2013 at 10:08 am
Mrs Ergül – yes, this is one of the reasons I just love this recipe!
September 14th, 2013 at 9:06 pm
Jen, I made this today for lunch. Wow, insanely good. My Husband was tentative and grumpy when we were making it. Think he liked it though was shoveling it down. So good. Thanks for a keeper recipe. (I made a 1.5 # dough in my bread maker for two perfect pizzas).