All I can say about spring is “Let’s ramp things up.”
For weeks now, I’ve been knee deep in ramps and my huge wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano has dwindled considerably from all the ramp pairing I’ve done.
Here is a killer pie with all the fun stuff of spring; Ramps, yellow beets and Parmigiano Reggiano.
Usually this is just perfect but I’ve decided to go really nuts and added Soppersata Friuli, edible violets and some great pea shoots from the Farmers at the Athens Farmers Market.
First I started with a thirty hour, cold fermented dough made with Manitoba wheat at fourteen percent protein. It was leavened with my age-old starter with a little extra virgin olive oil. I flattened this baby really long and stretched and stretched… and proofed some more….and stretched. I then added a few handfuls of ramps. (Never skimp on ramps because then will melt to nothing on a pizza.)
I then cooked this baby in a 630 degree oven until the parm was just melted and the ramps wilting nicely.
Then it was time to add the yellow beet from Shade River Organic farms. I roasted these in a foil bag with the skins on at 350 degrees for 45 minutes then left them to steam even more for hours until they cooled. (This ensured a deep, sweet beet flavor and no crappy black spots.) I then skinned and sliced them- perfect for a mid cook, pizza topping.
After the browning of the crust was complete, I added the sopperasata to melt completely on the still-hot pie, then I waited a little longer to put the pea shoots and violets.
This baby rocks!
