Spring Pizza with ramp pesto, morels, asparagus and Shellbark Hollow ChevreLast night, I finished off the last of my morels. Tear.
Yes, it was tragic—but also delicious. After eating them in a creamy pasta dish and mixed into scrambled eggs, I would have to say that this was, by far, my favorite preparation.
I defrosted a dough ball. Then I took a handful of ramps (Casey really hooked me up—there’s still another serving in the fridge), blanched them for two minutes in salted, boiling water and tossed them in the food processor with a bit of olive oil, the last of my wild garlic bulbs and salt. This impromptu ramp pesto became the base of my pie; it was mild and verdant, and the color was gorgeous.
I then sauteed the morels (halved) in a pan with sliced asparagus (my first of the season), salt, pepper, a bit of olive oil and a smidge of butter. After a few minutes, I hit the whole crew with a splash of white wine. I probably could have used the veg raw, but I always think this step gives home pizza cooks a leg up—you can add layers of flavor to your toppings. Next time you’re doing mushrooms on a pizza, try sautéing them with some fresh herbs first (rosemary and thyme are excellent); it will bring your pie to a new level.
This particular pie was finished off with Shellbark Hollow Sharp Chevre, a shaving of parmesen and—once out of the oven—a drizzle of good olive oil. It was spring on a plate.
