Pizza V.2- Asparagus, Chanterelles, Potatoes & Piave

My last post was all about the Pizza 'Festa Romana'. Today, I thought I'd share my recipe for Pizza v.2, which I'm calling 'First of Spring' pizza.

It uses everything that is freshest at the Farmer's Market right now including first of season asparagus and the most beautiful chanterelles I've seen in a long time, so big and plump. The recent rains must have made for good foraging. It also uses spring onions, those tender & sweet onions that resemble leeks and that seem to be overflowing from the the market stalls these days.

I was recently preparing asparagus for a friend and she was astonished to see me peeling them first. I think that removing the outer layer from the stem eliminates that stringy outside often asparagus has, and that I find unpleasant. Simply trim the ends of the stalks where they naturally snap and then use your vegetable peeler to remove the outermost part of the stem. You're left with the tender part of the asparagus, sans stringy bits.

For the dough recipe, visit 'Festa Romana'.

For the pizza topping:

Yields enough for 2, 9" pizzas

2 medium spring onions, cut into 1" dice

2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" dice

1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed and peeled, cut into 2" pieces

5 oz fresh chanterelle mushrooms, thinly sliced

3 oz Piave cheese, crumbled and/or grated

4 TB freshly grated Parmesano Reggiano

2 TB black olive tapenade

4 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus more for brushing

1/2 tsp herbs de provence

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1) Heat 2 TB olive oil in a saute pan over medium high heat. Add the potatoes, season with salt & pepper and saute until golden brown and tender, tossing frequently, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

2) Using the same saute pan, heat another 2 TB olive oil. Add the spring onions and saute until just barely softened, about 1 minute. Add the asparagus, the chanterelles, the herbs de provence, and the salt & pepper. Saute until the vegetables are tender and just beginning to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Toss the potatoes back in to warm through. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

2) Brush the pizza crust with olive oil. Leaving a 2" border around the entire outside, spread the tapenade in the middle. Top with the potato & vegetable mixture and crumble over the Piave cheese, followed by the Parmesan.

3) Cook in a 500 degree oven, on a preheated baking stone, approx 8-10 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.