Gorgonzola and Heirloom Pizza

It's tomato season! My poor CSA is suffering from the heat of a Raleigh summer, but we have gotten to enjoy some of his tomatoes already.

This is delicious pizza recipe with few ingredients but so much taste and a little bit goes a long way to satisfy. I have added spinach for nutrition and color as well as a little more cheese just to get everything to stick together. This recipe comes from a Cooking Light recipe that featured tomatoes.

Trader Joes sells great premade pizza dough for only $1. I have learned to use their whole wheat option more often, but nothing beats the taste and texture of their white flour dough. They used to carry an herb and garlic edition, but I have not seen that option for some time now and doubt they carry it anymore. I have learned to add my own herbs to the pizza to make up for it's absence.

Gorgonzola and Heirloom Pizza

pizza dough, make your own or buy Trader Joe's variety

cornmeal

Italian herbs, optional

1/2 cup shredded white cheese, such as fontina or mozzarella

1 cup Gorgonzola cheese

2 heirloom tomatoes, sliced and seeded if necessary

2 tbsp fresh basil

one handful baby spinach, finely chopped

garlic pepper

Let the pizza dough sit for at least 20 minutes or until it is room temperature and begins to slightly rise. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Don't knead too much or the crust gets hard. Roll out your dough on a floured surface. My pizzas are always shaped in crazy designs so don't try so hard to make a perfect circle. As long as the crust is the same thickness throughout then it will all taste the same. Spread some cornmeal on your baking sheet or pizza stone and transfer your dough to your cooking surface. Do NOT use cornmeal as your dry ingredient when rolling out your dough. I don't know the chemistry of it but your dough will become tight and contract and you'll never get it rolled out.

Fork dough several times to avoid air bubbles. Lightly spray oil e.g. PAM or brush olive oil onto the crust with a pastry brush. Add herbs of your choice e.g. oregano, rosemary. I would say definitely go with fresh herbs for this pizza since you don't want to overwhelm your tastes buds with concentrated flavor. Fresh herbs are lighter in their flavor.

Sprinkle gorg cheese over crust. Top cheese with finely chopped spinach. You want to cover your pizza sufficiently because the spinach will wilt when cooked. Top spinach with slices of tomato. Heirloom tomatoes are so tasty because they have more tender "meat" in them then genetically-modified tomatoes. As a result, you also have fewer seeds. You want to seed your tomato if it is juicy so you get a sun-dried taste. Top tomato slices with white cheese - just enough to keep toppings from piling off the pizza. I used TJ's low-fat mozzarella but if you are making this dish for company I highly recommend fontina or fontiago. Top with basil and garlic pepper.

Bake for 12 minutes or until crust is crispy and cheese is melted. Turn to broil for a minute or two (don't leave the kitchen) to brown the top cheese, if desired. This is an addictive and beautiful pizza for guests or summer evenings on the porch. It is also classy enough to eat with wine. I suggest a Viognier - crisp white wine that is dryer than Pinot Grigio but cleaner than Chardonnay.