Pizza with Fennel and Scapes

I spotted the first fennel of the season at The Cook's Garden at the farmers market on Saturday. I have some in my garden as well, but it has a long way to go (next year we will plant it earlier!). I made two pizzas, which used most of the bulb, but I've still got a bit leftover to use in salads for the rest of the week (raw fennel is great in salads; many times you can even use the stalks--just try them first to make sure they're not too tough).

1 14-inch pizza crust
olive oil
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups chopped fennel bulb
1/2 - 2/3 cup chopped scapes
1-2 oz chopped pecorino or 2-3 oz crumbled feta
2-3 oz shredded mozzarella

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Paint the pizza crust lightly with olive oil.

Spread the tomato sauce over the crust, then sprinkle with the fennel, scapes, and pecorino or feta. Sprinkle the mozzarella over everything. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until crust is done and cheese begins to brown.

Serves 3-4.

Green Garlic Pesto

Green garlic makes a lovely pesto with a nice garlic flavor that is not at all overpowering. You can use the entire plant once you cut the roots off. This recipe makes enough to have some now and put some in the freezer for later. I used pecorino and pine nuts, but you could also substitute Parmesan and walnuts if you like. You could also make this with scapes, which are coming in now.

8-10 slender stalks green garlic, including leaves (roots removed)
1/2 - 1/3 cub extra virgin olive oil
1/2 - 3/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 lb pecorino, chopped
2 tsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a food processor; taste and adjust as needed for flavor and texture. This makes a fairly thick paste. You can thin it with a little water when you are ready to use--if serving on pasta, use a little of the pasta water.

Makes about 2 cups. Use 1 cup for 1 lb of pasta. To freeze, place 1/2 cup or 1 cup quantity in a quart-size freezer bag, squeeze all the air out, and smooth out the pesto so it's nice and flat. You can thaw it quickly in a bowl of warm water.

Pizza with Spinach, Pecorino, and Sage

I expect that spinach is going to be winding down in the markets pretty soon. What we had in the garden is long gone, having bolted weeks ago. But if you like this recipe, you can also make it with Swiss chard, which goes right through the summer and into fall. Pecorino is a salty, flavorful sheep's milk cheese from Italy. It's a treat in our house because it's a little expensive, but worth it now and then. I'd love a local substitute, but I'm not aware of anyone making sheep cheese in this area--if anyone knows of any, please let me know!

Olive oil
1 14-inch pizza crust
1/2 lb spinach, stemmed
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 Tbsp chopped fresh sage leaves
1 oz pecorino, grated or finely diced
2 oz shredded mozzarella

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Paint the pizza crust lightly with olive oil.

Heat a little more olive oil in a skillet and saute the spinach just long enough to wilt it.

Spread the tomato sauce on the pizza crust. Top with the spinach. Sprinkle with sage and pecorino, then top lightly with mozzarella. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until crust is done and cheese begins to brown.

Serves 3-4.