Saturday, April 28, 2012

Grilled Peach, Chorizo, & Caramelized Onion Pizza with Crumbled Goat Cheese & Fresh Basil

Grilled Peach, Chorizo, Caramelized Onion Pizza with Crumbled Goat Cheese & Fresh Basil
Today was an awesome day. It's kinda one of those days that makes me happy to be living in Savannah. We woke up early and grabbed our pup, and headed out to Forsyth Park for the annual Sidewalk Arts Festival hosted by SCAD. After the festival, we went to the Farmer's Market and got some fresh popsicles and organic pork belly (can't wait to use that). And then, we ended the day with that delicious pizza pictured above. Anyway, if you haven't heard of SCAD, it stands for the Savannah College of Art & Design, and it is considered one of the top art schools in the country. Well, every year, SCAD hosts a variety of events to showcase their students' art. One of my hands down favorite events is the Sidewalk Arts Festival. SCAD undergraduates, grad students, and alumni are invited to come chalk a square of the sidewalk of Forsyth park with any image they can think of. It's really amazing some of the ideas they come up with and how life-like they turn out. They have a few hours to complete their square before judges go around and pick their favorite art works. Here are a few of my favorites...







Aren't those awesome?! Well, after our long day at the park, we came home and made the oddest, yet most delicious pizza, ever. Yeap, it had grilled peaches, chorizo, caramelized onion, goat cheese, and basil. And it was ridiculous, but perfect for a hot summer night. The peaches are grilled which give them a nice smokiness and tartness. I know you would think peach on a pizza sounds bizarre, but it really is similar to pineapple, and pineapple on pizza=good. I loveeeee the chorizo because it's spicy and salty and everything yummy. And, I'm a sucker for goat cheese, so don't leave that out either. Just don't leave any of the components out, really. They balance each other out so nicely. Trust me. Well, I hope y'all are havin' a great saturday night wherever y'all are!! Enjoy :)
Peach-Chorizo-Goat Cheese Pizza... "the perfect summer pizza"
For the Grilled Peaches:
2 Medium Peaches, Sliced
1T Honey
1T Olive Oil

For the Pizza:
Homemade or Store-Bought Pizza Dough
Olive Oil
4oz Cantimpalo Chorizo, Slices
Grilled Peach Slices
4oz Fresh Goat Cheese, Crumbled
1 Medium Sweet Onion, Sliced & Caramelized until Crispy (I like mine slightly crunchy)
Fresh Basil, Chiffonade
Salt & Pepper, To Taste

Directions:
1. For the Grilled Peaches: Toss the peach slices in the honey and olive oil until lightly coated. Preheat a grill pan to high heat and sear the slices of peaches until grill marks appear, about 1-3 minutes, depending on your grill (but do not overcook the peaches too much or they will be mushy). Set it aside until ready to layer onto the pizza dough.
2. Making the Pizza: Preheat the oven to 500 degrees or broil as high as your oven will go. Spread the pizza dough out onto a baking sheet or pizza tray. Drizzle the dough lightly with olive oil and sprinkle a little bit of salt and fresh cracked pepper. Lay the chorizo slices across the dough, followed by the grilled peach slices, and then sprinkle the crumbled goat cheese on top of the peaches. Bake the pizza for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the toppings are crispy. Remove from the oven and immediately scatter the crispy, caramelized onions on top of the pizza.
3. Just before serving, garnish the pizza with fresh basil. Cut into squares or slices and serve immediately. 

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