Sunday, October 05, 2008

Chanterelle pizza with arugula-pumpkin seed pesto and chevre


...or, Wherein I Learn to Use My New Camera

So my camera bit the dust. My trusty Nikon Coolpix, which has served me well for the past two years, finally bid adieu to this cruel world. Our waitress at Jules Casual French Bistro accidentally bumped the table, sending the camera tumbling to the floor, and it just didn't work after that. It was a very awkward situation, actually. She felt appropriately terrible. I was bummed, but didn't really expect her to pay for it or anything. I mean, it wasn't a new camera or anything.

The resolution came when she comped us our meal (complete with a nice bottle of wine) and I promised I would still give the restaurant a good review. Which I will, when I get to reviewing it. In the meanwhile, if you find yourself wandering around Gastown and stop in, give that poor girl an extra good tip. In the uncomfortable exchange, Scott and I slipped out and forgot to tip her. We realized on the way back to the hotel, but didn't have any cash.

But that's neither here nor there. I made the pizza for you. The Pizza That Will Send Me To Europe. Even though I technically don't believe in recipes, here it is (copied directly from the Bolla website).

Chanterelle pizza with arugula-pumpkin seed pesto and chevre
Serves four

Pizza Dough
•1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
•3/4 cup warm water (105-115°F)
•2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus additional for kneading and dredging
•1 tsp. salt
•3 tbsp. olive oil

Pesto
•4 cups (about 6 oz.) arugula leaves, packed
•1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (or pine nuts), toasted
•1 clove garlic
•1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, packed
•1/4 cup olive oil

Topping
•2 tbsp. olive oil
•1/4 cup shallots, thinly sliced
•2 cloves garlic, minced
•12 oz. chanterelles (or other wild mushrooms), thinly sliced
•1/4 cup golden raisins (or dried apricots), chopped
•1/4 cup Bolla Soave
•2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar (preferably aged)
•1 tbsp. fresh thyme, minced
•8 oz. chevre (goat cheese)

To prepare dough: Stir together yeast and water in a small cup until the yeast is dissolved. In a large, bowl mix flour and salt. Add yeast mixture and stir until dough forms. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until dough is smooth and elastic (about ten minutes). Note: this can be done with the dough hook attachment of your kitchen mixer, which gives you time to sit back with a magazine and enjoy a glass of wine. Transfer dough to a large, oiled bowl, and roll dough around to coat. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and set aside in a warm place for 1.5 hours to rise. You may now return to your glass of wine and magazine.

Turn dough out onto a floured surfaced and flatten with your hands. Cut dough in half and form two balls. Dust the balls lightly with flour and cover with a kitchen towel or inverted bowl (large enough to allow further dough expansion), and leave for an hour until the dough has doubled in size. While dough is rising, prepare pesto and topping. If using a pizza stone, begin preheating oven to highest setting.


To prepare pesto: In a blender or food processor, blend arugula, pumpkin seeds, garlic and cheese to a thick paste. With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil to loosen the pesto to a spreadable consistency.

To prepare topping: In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the shallots and garlic for one minute, then add the chanterelles and raisins. After about five minutes, when the mushrooms release their liquid, increase the heat to high and cook, stirring often, until the liquid evaporates (one or two minutes). Add Bolla Soave and balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan, and cook another minute until the wine completely evaporates. Turn off heat and stir in thyme.

To assemble pizza: Preheat oven to highest setting. Using a your fingers, flatten each dough ball into 9" rounds, lifting and turning the dough several times. Dust with flour as necessary to prevent the dough from sticking. Carefully slide dough onto a lightly floured baker’s peel or rimless cookie sheet. Give it a quick shake to make sure it’s not sticking (toss a little flour under the dough if is sticking). With the back of a ladle, smear half the pesto onto each dough round,
working in a circular motion, to an inch from the dough’s edge. Top each dough round with half the mushroom mixture (scoop with a slotted spoon or tongs to prevent adding liquid to the pizza) and dot with pinched-off bits of chevre. To transfer the pizzas to the heated pizza stone, line up far edge of peel (or cookie sheet) with the far edge of pizza stone and gently jerk peel (or cookie sheet), pulling back carefully as the pizzas are laid onto the stone. Once the pizzas are on the stone, do not move them until they’re ready to be removed. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the
dough is browned and crisped. Move the pizzas from the oven onto a cutting board and slice into wedges or squares.

(Note: if using a baking sheet instead of a stone, bake at 425°F for 15 minutes.)


I also added a little bacon this time, just for shits and gigs. In a week or two I will be going out picking for the first time this fall, and will have chanterelles coming out of my ass.

Oh, the new camera? A Nikon D40 DSLR. It's what Peter uses, and I think his photos are the cat's pajamas. Now if I could only get his huge windows and open daytime schedule...

21 comments:

Núria said...

Thanks for the Pizza pics and recipe :D. I already went to Bolla website to vote for you :D... Hope you get that trip :D :D

Hey this is my new Camera too!!! I had a small ricoh before that was super handy and the Nikon D40 is a bit too big... but once you get to know her... you'll love her♥

Good luck darling!

dz said...

that looks terrific! i wish i was something other a broke-ass college student because the first thing i'd do is upgrade my camera.

...ok not first thing. but you know. the pics look great. enjoy learning to use your new camera, etc.

Alicia Foodycat said...

Gorgeous! Sounds absolutely delicious too.

aforkfulofspaghetti said...

GIMME IT. NOW.

Judy@nofearentertaining said...

That pizza sure looks like a winner to me. Love arugula pesto on my pizza!!!

I want a new camera.

Peter M said...

The pizza does sound like a winner but I would choose another wine in the recipe! ;)

Good luck, I voted and voted well.

Peter G | Souvlaki For The Soul said...

Actually, I think this pizza is the cats pyjamas! Love the earthy flavours of the chanterelles combined with that pesto...Good luck! Thanks for the shout out! The camera is basic but it sure gets the job done.

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

Gastown is only 4 hours away. I hope the camera incident was closer to the end of your holiday.I have been ove to the site and Europe here you come!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

The pizza looks so very good! Of course you had my vote! And I made my partner go and vote for you too. He didn't really know what was going on, but he's very amenable to suggestion....

michael, claudia and sierra said...

i shoot with a nikon d70. i need to learn how to use it. i'm kind of a one trick poney. same shot each time with different food.

pizza looks fab. i voted, of course. i really really hope you win. that'd be a total kick. and really, i think that you absolutely deserve it. you're a brilliant cook. you and peter from cookblog blow me away with the seemingly innate knowledge.

michael, claudia and sierra said...

poney

hee

Nikki @ NikSnacks said...

I so totally voted for you! Oh. My. Gawd. I SO hope you win!

Bejezus, that made my brain hurt.

You pizza looks good. I am stealing this arugula-pumpkin seed pesto. I need an alternative to put in some savory scones at my new place of employment. I kinda need to impress some people. The president or somebody eats there every day.

glamah16 said...

It looks great Heather. I hope you win.I would love a new camera, but have to master CS's first. Hwe just got a new one. Anyway send me over some of those shrooms when you go picking them.:-)

Anonymous said...

This sounds like the perfect pizza for fall! I've been craving pizza for so long, and I especially love a slice with tons of veggies! Too tasty! I'm sorry to hear about your camera :(.

We would love to feature your recipe on the first and only digital recipe reader. Please email sophiekiblogger@gmail.com if you're interested :). Thanks!

Brittany said...

I was secretly hoping you would post this pizza- and yes, it will most certainly send you to Europe.

New camera produces some lovely images (or maybe thats all the pizzas doing...)

Looking forward to what you'll be creating with the chantrells. I recently grew a pair of balls and finally made homemade pasta. It resulted in a kick f' ing ass chantrell ravioli.

I love this time of year.

Heather said...

Núria - We are camera twins! Thanks for voting for me. :)

smörgåsbroad - Thank you! I hope that's not just the aqvavit talking.

Foodycat - You get girolles over in your neck of the woods, yeah? Work some magic!

Sketti - Demanding, aren't we? Anything for you.

Judy - I wanted a new one too, I just didn't want to be forced to get one when I'm paying for a vacation. :\

Syd - Why don'tcha just sell the other one on eBay or some shit? Nikon wants you to come home, baby.

Peter the Greek - You'd prolly just drink ouzo with it. :P

Petah - No, YOU are! You really helped narrow it down, actually. Thanks for posting your camera info on your blog. :)

Valli - Well that's only half a day! :P You getting chanterelles up in your area yet?

Tina - It's always nice to have a suggestible partner. ;) Thanks for the vote.

Poney Boy Curtis - Well the D70 is pretty much the apex of the series, right? When I bought a case for mine I got an instructional CD. It's good for some laughs.

Nikki - That pesto would be great on a scone, or in risotto. Love the scone idea! Thanks for the vote.

Courtney - I'm finnuh can up some of my chanterelle ragout this fall, so I can hook you up. :)

maybelle's mom said...

The pictures are lovely. I will go over and vote.

Lo said...

Oooh. Thanks for sharing. It looks like a winner! Might even get my vote *wink*

Glad to hear you got a new camera! Looks like it does the job!

Anonymous said...

I'm drooling! Stop this! That's a beauty of a pizza.

I got myself a Nikon D60 recently and i love it.. i mean i love it when i get good lighting. You know you can buy a special lamp that re-creates natural light. Good for the kitchen! :)

Emily said...

I would have felt awful if I was the waitress. That's never happened to me.
One time I spilled a drink on an Amish woman's dress, but I think that's it.

I checked out the other recipes on the website, and I really think yours is the best. The others don't come close.

This looks so good! I like the the new camera. Your other one was great as well.

Nilmandra said...

So sad you lost your camera. My old Canon Powershot was knocked to the ground when I was in Boston earlier this year :-/ But hey a Nikon D40 sounds good; that's the match to my Canon 400D! I'll note down Jules Bistro to try it out :)