This pizza features Chesterhill peaches and Danish blue cheese with a fig balsamic reduction.
This summer has been a great time for breads. Besides the usual suspects, I’ve been able to create alot of local flatbreads and some “schmartizan” stuff as well.
Spanish Manchego, basil and the first heirloom tomatos of the summer round out this thin crusted “La Mancha” pizza.
I start baking at 10 p.m. and bake until 9 a.m. so these videos never turn out like I envision. I tend to leave out alot of information because of an overtaxed (and already small) brain cavity. Flours here include local spelt, local corn flour with raw sweet corn, rye and a mish-mash of organic all-purp. and all trumps (high gluten.) I use a natural starter on all my breads and a 70 percent levain on big breads and mostly a 65 to 80 percent hydration and 3 day retardation on all.
How can anyone go wrong with such a great summer bounty for schiacciata (left) and Foccocia al Siciliana (right)
After my time at the Chesterhill Produce Auction, I got to thinking about the 30 Mile Meal Project here in Athens. These are people who, in a very short time, have promoted the use of sustainable local foods in a 30-mile radius of Athens. Thanks to them and Rural Action, I ended up with some great veggies and the resulting pizza below. If you wanna taste one just like it, come to Avalanche Pizza the week of July 17th and I’ll make you one. That’s Restaurant Week in the 30 Mile Meal Project.
My pizza, topped with local vegetables and ready for the oven.
Like I said previously, the auction is run by Rural Action and Tom Redfern and Bob Fedeski. They get the word out to guys like me who want the freshest vegetables around.
This day at the auction, I see some tough bidding competitors like Matt Rapposelli, the Executive Chef of Ohio University. I also see the chefs from The Wilds. Matt has retooled his prep kitchens to wash, peel, shave, chop, package and freeze all these local vegetables for students eating at the University.
All sorts of people showed up for the first produce auction of the year. There was no fruit to be seen but lots asparagus, garlic, chard and radish.
Slice the ham, then peel the skin of the asparagus.
Slice the asparagus lengthwise.
Slice the radishes thin or on a mandoline, toss them in a bowl with the vinegar, salt and sugar.
Cut the stem out of the chard, roll the leaf lengthwise and cut in a thin chiffonade.
Toss the chard with the chopped garlic and the radish.
Form the spelt crust round on parchment paper. Add the goat cheese and gruyere.
Add the ham, then the chard-garlic-radish mix. Then top with the asparagus. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the bottom is crisp. Serve immediately.
Nothing is better than a 30 mile pizza.
Here’s Tom and Bob explaining the Chesterhill produce auction
