ITEMS
Fresh Basil
Claytonia
Shiitake Mushrooms
Ricotta Cheese
Dozen Eggs
Pizza Dough - Traditional or GF
PRODUCERS
Yellowstone Valley Farms - Billings
Missoula Grain & Vegetable Co - Missoula
Mother Funghi - Missoula
Amaltheia Organic Dairy - Belgrade
Black Dog Farm - Livingston
On the Rise Bread Co - Bozeman / Gluten-free Prairie - Manhattan
Claytonia Salad
Makes a delicious, simple salad with a few toppings and a light vinaigrette. Serves 2-4
4 C claytonia leaves and stems, loosely chopped (or as much as you need) - combine with arugula or other tender greens if you like
1 C apple, orange or grapefruit segments, chopped into bite-size pieces
1/2 C toasted nuts of your choice, chopped
~6 Tbs olive oil
~2 Tbs red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
dollop of honey or mustard (optional)
Put oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and honey or mustard if using in a jar and shake to combine. Taste and adjust as needed. Set aside and prep your salad ingredients. Shake vinaigrette again and toss with salad just before serving.
Basil & Claytonia Pesto
Adapted from Alice Waters's recipe. Makes ~1 1/2 C
1/2 C Basil, rinsed and dried - mostly leaves
1/2 C Claytonia, rinsed and dried - leaves and stems
1 small garlic clove
pinch of salt, plus more to taste
1/4 C pine nuts or walnuts, lightly toasted
1/4 C parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 C olive oil - make sure you use a light-tasting oil. A pungent oil can overpower your pesto
A squeeze of fresh lemon juice (optional)
Pulse first 6 ingredients in a food processor (basil - parmesan) until everything's roughly chopped. Add oil with processor running until it's just combined. Remove from processor, taste and adjust salt. If you expect to store the pesto for a while, a bit of lemon juice can help to keep it from browning.
2 Flavors of Pizza
Room temperature dough will be stretchier and more pliable than cold dough, so let it warm up a bit before stretching. Using your fingers, gently shape it into 1 large or 2 small/medium pizzas. If it's sticky, you can put a little olive oil on your hands and the dough. Dust a cookie sheet with cornmeal (or a pizza peel if you're using a preheated baking stone), place the dough on the cornmeal and add your toppings. Preheat your oven to at least 425 F or 450 F.
White Pizza with Mushrooms, Ricotta, & Basil - makes 1 pizza
4 oz shiitake mushrooms, plus more if you want, sliced ~1/4-inch thick
1 garlic clove, minced
Handful of basil leaves, chopped or cut into a chiffonade (roll up like a cigar and sliced into ribbons)*
up to 4 oz ricotta
Olive oil
Fresh lemon juice
~1 C Mozzarella or other melty cheese, shredded, or as much as you like
Slice and sauté the mushrooms in 1 Tbs of oil, with the garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook ~5 minutes, or until mushrooms are tender and juicy. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, stir well, and set aside.
Brush shaped dough lightly all over with olive oil, then top with the mushroom/garlic mixture followed by dollops of ricotta and the mozzarella cheese (or mozz followed by mushrooms and ricotta...everyone's process is different!). Sprinkle with any additional seasonings you like to use, like dried oregano or red pepper flakes, plus ~1 tsp of kosher salt. Bake 10-15 minutes, or until crust is golden brown on the bottom and cheese is melty and browning. Out of then oven, sprinkle with chopped basil, let cool briefly, then cut and serve.
Red Pizza with Tomato, Ricotta, & Basil - makes 1 pizza
2 medium ripe tomatoes (~1 pounds)
1-2 cloves garlic
1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
up to 4 oz ricotta cheese, at room temp
5 to 6 sprigs fresh basil, leaves stripped and torn*
Grate the tomatoes on the large holes of a box grater into a bowl. If very juicy, drain in a strainer then return to the bowl. On a cutting board, sprinkle the garlic with the salt and mash and smear into a paste with the side of a chef's knife, the add to the bowl with the tomatoes. Whisk in the olive oil and taste for seasoning - add salt and pepper as needed. Spread the tomato mixture over your shaped dough and bake until crust is golden and crisp, 10-15 minutes. Out of the oven, drop spoonfuls of ricotta on top and sprinkle with basil, then cut and serve.
*Either pizza could be drizzled with Basil & Claytonia Pesto instead of using fresh basil leaves.
Additional Recipe Suggestions
Pesto Rolls - You could mix the ricotta with the pesto, too! I think you could do this with your pizza dough, but try not to handle it too much or it will get tough. I'm not sure if the GF dough will hold together for this...
Here's a creamy basil lemon linguine recipe that I like that uses ricotta and fresh basil
Find recipes for a cheater homemade mushroom ramen and jammy eggs here