The weather has finally turned cold here – down into the teens during the last week or so. That spells the end of most fresh, local produce. One of the last stalwarts in gardens here in central Iowa is kale. My favorite is the long, thin lacinato kale. Here I cranked out a quick potato and kale pizza that I like to grill, but you can easily bake it in an oven.
Any salty, mild, but flavorful cheese will work here. I used the delicious Montamoré by Sartori. The first time I tried the cheese it was described as a cross between cheddar and Parmesan. That’s not a terrible description and I really enjoy this cheese. If you can’t find that, I really do think some Parmesan and cheddar would be a good substitute. This wouldn’t be a good fit for this pizza, but I’m also a huge fan of Sartori’s Espresso BellaVitano, so try that if you get the chance. It’s great by itself with a glass or two of red wine.
I’m not divulging a full pizza dough recipe here because honestly, everyone has different preferences. For reference purposes, I really like the standard Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day recipe for pizza crusts, but a ball of raw dough from the grocery store would work just fine.
The salty, crispy nature of this late autumn pizza goes great with hard cider or beer.
Kale & Potato Pizza
6 ounces pizza dough
1 tbs olive oil
4 large kale leaves (about 1.5 ounces)
handful grated cheese (about 1.5 ounces)
1 large Yukon gold potato
salt and pepper
Slice the potato thinly and as evenly as possible. Lay the pieces out on a piece of parchment and bake in a 350 oven for about 10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.
Roll the pizza dough out into a thin circle – about 10 inches. Brush the olive oil over the top of the crust and then top with the cheese and then the potatoes. Toss the kale over the top somewhat evenly and then lightly salt and pepper.
Toss in the grill for about 5 minutes. If baking in an oven you may need to bake for slightly longer (closer to 10 minutes).