Summer Strawberry Pizza with Sauteed Ramps, Crumbled Gorgonzola, Shaved Speck, Baby Arugula, + a Balsamic Reduction Drizzle on Multigrain Pizza Dough

Every time Summer starts to creep around, I begin to crave a rustic pizza with fruit as the star ingredient. It might sound delicious to some of y'all... and it might sound absolutely-down-right-disgusting to the rest. But bless your heart, you couldn't be more wrong. Just take my word for it. This pizza came about on a Saturday at our local farmer's market. Don't you love when dishes just come together so spontaneously? We saw  lusciously ripe, ruby red strawberries and some perfectly pungent (yet still mild) wild ramps and I thought, well heck, let's marry those two flavors. I am on a real ramp kick lately. I can't find them at grocery stores in our hood, but at the edge of Spring, you can find them by the barrel, freshly pulled out of the ground by your friendly local farmer. They are the loveliest combination of a leek, green onion, shallot, and garlic. And when they are sauteed, they just mellow out a bit and give any extremely rich recipe a itty bitty kick. So, I spread a thin pesto-like sauteed ramp base on the pizza dough before I loaded it up with a bunch of different cheeses. I crumbled the ever-so-sticky gorgonzola cheese on top for an extra pop of flavor. It perfectly paired with the sweet strawberries. UM YUM. The pizza is finished with shaved Speck, which we prefer to Prosciutto, if you get in a pickle, just use that instead... no biggie. Baby arugula is scattered across the top for its' peppery bite, and anyway, it goes amazingly with strawberries and gorgonzola. And no fruity pizza would be complete without a drizzle of syrupy balsamic reduction. It just wouldn't. So take our word for it, this is something that can't be missed during these hot summer months. I guarantee it!! Enjoy :)

For the Strawberry Pizza:

1 Ball of Multigrain Pizza Dough (regular or whole wheat dough can be substituted)

1 Small Bunch of Ramps, Chopped

2T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

8oz Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella (sliced, torn into small pieces, or shredded)

4-8oz of Ripe Strawberries, Thinly Sliced

¼C Crumbled Gorgonzola Cheese

¼t Dried Red Pepper Flakes

4oz Shaved Prosciutto (we actually used Speck just because we prefer it over prosciutto)

2T Fresh Basil, Minced

Homemade Balsamic Reduction, For Drizzling

1-2 Handfuls of Baby Arugula, For Garnishing
Kosher Salt + Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to its hottest setting, around 500-550 degrees, and arrange a rack in the middle of the oven. Let your pizza stone heat up in the oven for at least 30-45 minutes.

2. For the Sautéed Ramps: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add in olive oil, red pepper flakes, and chopped ramps. Sauté until they become fragrant and translucent, but still slightly crunchy and sharp. This usually 5-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set them aside to cool before you spread them on the pizza dough.

3. For the Strawberry Pizza: Create a 12inch round of dough on a semolina dusted pizza peel and spread the sautéed ramps over the top. Place the torn fresh mozzarella evenly across the dough, and then add on the sliced strawberries, crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, some red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and fresh cracked pepper. Slide the pizza onto the heated pizza stone and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese has melted and begun to caramelize. Remove it from the oven and immediately lay small piles of the thin slices of speck (or prosciutto) over the hot pizza. Just before serving, scatter the baby arugula on top, followed by a drizzle of balsamic reduction.

4. Cut into slices and serve immediately!

Herbed Strawberry Bruschetta with Whipped Feta + Pink Peppercorn Balsamic Reduction on Olive Oil Fried Multigrain Toast

Herbed Strawberry Bruschetta with Whipped Feta + Pink Peppercorn Balsamic Reduction
on Olive Oil Fried Multigrain Toast

Hey y'all, I hope everyone had a great Fourth of July holiday… we sure did. My Mountain Man and I celebrated our one year engagement anniversary. I can't believe it's already been a year of wedding planning, it seemed to pass so slowly and now looking back, it was too incredibly fast. Just in a short three months, we will be saying "I Do" in Atlanta. So bizarre. Anyway, today I am sharing a recipe that should be enjoyed all spring and all summer long. We're huge fans of bruschetta over here… and by that, I mean we could just eat a massive plate of it for dinner and call it a night. We don't discriminate, not even when it's made with fruit. Ripe strawberries pair beautifully with savory flavors and this recipe is a great example of that! I was actually inspired by a dish at our favorite restaurant (and wedding location), JCT Kitchen + Bar. It was a simple side of the ripest, sweetest strawberries that I have ever tasted with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic, some crumbled feta, and minced basil, mint, & chives. As we popped each berry into our mouth, the flavors sang so loudly and tasted so brightly. I couldn't believe the flavor combination. I just knew I had to take this idea and run with it. My recipe starts with a good loaf of multigrain bread, cut into rounds, and fried until golden brown in olive oil (a personal favorite technique when it comes to making bruschetta). Then, I made some whipped feta in the food processor, which is a breeze to make, but yields such lovely results. You could easily sub in goat cheese here, if you prefer, however I totally recommend the feta cheese. The strawberry bruschetta topping begins with chopping the berries into cubes and macerating them in a little sugar, balsamic, and lemon. I did this for about an hour, just to allow them to deepen and sweeten in a flavor (it's a must-do).  Luckily for me, I have a whole mess of fresh herbs growing in our garden, so I just minced up basil, mint, chives, and parsley, and added it to the mix. Save a little bit of the mixed herbs for garnishing though, it gives a beautiful contrast against the red berries, white feta, and dark balsamic. The balsamic reduction is enhanced with some crushed pink peppercorn because I absolutely love that flavor profile when paired with strawberries. Last year, I made strawberry-pink peppercorn jam and it was fab. So do it. Everyone loved this easy + fresh appetizer, and I can't wait to make it again and again and again!! Enjoy :)

For the Whipped Feta Cheese:

8oz Creamy Feta Cheese, Room Temperature (or very soft)

2oz Cream Cheese, Room Temperature (or very soft)

3T Cold Heavy Cream

Pinch of Salt & Pepper

For the Herbed Strawberry Bruschetta Topping:

1 Pint of Fresh Strawberries, Cut into Cubes

2T Balsamic Vinegar + 1-2T Sugar (depending how ripe your berries are)

1 Lemon, Zested & Juiced

2T Olive Oil

Big Handful of Fresh Basil + Mint, Minced

2T Minced Chives

Fleur de Sel + Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste

¼t Red Pepper Flakes 

For the Pink Peppercorn Balsamic Reduction:

¼C Balsamic Vinegar

1T Honey

½t Crushed Pink Peppercorns (or to taste)

For the Bruschetta:

Prepared Herbed Strawberry Bruschetta Topping

Prepared Whipped Feta Cheese (plus crumbled feta for garnish)

Slices of Multigrain Bread

Olive Oil, For Frying

Prepared Pink Peppercorn Balsamic Reduction, For Drizzling

Freshly Minced Basil, Chives, & Mint, For Garnishing

Directions:

1. For the Whipped Feta Cheese: In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the softened cream cheese and salt until thoroughly mixed. Scrape down the sides and turn the mixer to medium-high speed and add in ¼C heavy cream. Continue whipping, while continuously adding a little bit of a crumbled feta cheese at a time, until the feta cheese is combined throughout. Add in the remaining ¼C heavy cream and beat on high until it is light & fluffy. Season the feta cheese with salt & pepper to taste. Spoon this mixture onto a serving plate.

2. For the Herbed Strawberry Bruschetta: In a large mixing bowl, toss together the cubed strawberries, balsamic vinegar, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Let the berries macerate for an hour. Add in the remaining ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside for 15-30 minutes to let the flavors meld.

3. For the Balsamic Reduction: Add the balsamic vinegar and honey to a small saucepan and cook to reduce for 3-5 minutes, or until thick and syrupy. Stir in crushed pink peppercorns. Set this aside until ready to use.

4. For the Multigrain Bread: Heat about 1 inch of olive oil in a deep sauté pan over medium-high heat. Fry the slices of multigrain bread in the oil until golden brown & crispy, about 2 minutes on each side.

5. Assembling the Bruschetta: Spread the fried bread with some of the whipped feta, and then top each piece of bread with a mound of the strawberry Bruschetta topping mixture. Garnish with a drizzle of balsamic reduction, crumbled feta, and fresh minced herbs. Serve immediately.

Layered Brown Sugar Pavlova with Sour Cream Whipped Cream, Meyer Lemon Zabaglione, + Macerated Berries

Layered Brown Sugar Pavlova with Sour Cream Whipped Cream, Meyer
Lemon Zabaglione, + Macerated Berries

As a food blogger, I get asked a'shit'ton of questions. Most of those questions I am perfectly happy to answer... I mean, that's why I am here, right?! Well, more so than questions, I get asked for recipe requests from family + friends. Although I want to please them right away, my Willy-Wonka-inspired-brain has about 100,000 recipes that I want to try first. So most of the time, they get put on the back burner until I am truly motivated to make whatever their little heart desires. Birthdays are a good time to make up for lost time, but in this case, I did it by creating my mother's ultimate favorite dessert, Pavlova. If you haven't had a Pavlova, you must... especially if you love meringue, which my mom is mildly extremely obsessed with. What is so wonderful about meringue is its' balance of textures. One moment is crispy + crumbly and yet somehow dissipates into your mouth like thin air. It's unbelievable. Yet when all that outer texture is gone (and the pavlova has to be cooked perfectly), but the inside remains soft, chewy, & almost-marshamallowy-like. It is fabulous. Every texture note is hit... spot-on. I especially adored this recipe because it included brown sugar, which is my favorite sugar, simply because of its molasses-like flavor and the moistness that it adds to any recipe. The brown sugar isn't a stand-out flavor, but you can certainly tell by the picture that it is most definitely an ingredient. The other components could easily be switched out... but there is something so lovely about fresh summer berries that have been macerated until their sweet juices seep out and create a sugary syrup. One little secret ingredient for the berries... balsamic vinegar. Just trust me on this one-- it will really accentuates + deepens the sweetness of the fruit. And what pairs better with sugary-berry-goodness? Well, personally, I love to pair it with some zing, some pop, a little pucker... and that's where the Meyer Lemon Zabaglione comes in. If you haven't made it before, don't fret, it ain't very hard to make. Think of a creamy lemon curd... with the added step of heavy, rigorous whisking. If you can't find Meyer Lemons, that's fine too, just sub in the classic. I just prefer to use the Meyer variety because it's toned-down acidity. In order tone down the lemony flavor + syrupy berries, the Sour Cream Whipped Cream is the ultimate cure. The tanginess of the sour cream and fluffy whipped cream smooth out all the flavors, creating the most-melt-in-your-mouth-groan-until-you-fall-asleep-moment. Yep, it's that good. This dessert has it all-- the texture, the balance of flavors, the gourmet components, and the refreshing taste of summer that is just peaking around the corner. To say the least, my mom was thrilled when I surprised her with this layered pavlova cake for Mother's Day. But hey, it would be great for any party really... especially a cutesy-tootsy brunch with pals + mimosas. I really urge y'all to give this dessert a try because it exceeded our expectations in every way possible!! Enjoy :)

the beginnings of mother's day brunch

whippin' up some brown sugar meringue... ain't it purdy

And the layering begins :)

so many macerated summer berries + their juices

aren't they gorg?

And look at that luscious Meyer Lemon Zabaglione + Sour Cream Whipped Cream

layers upon layers upon layers

even miss molly loved it too :)

For the Brown Sugar Pavlova Meringue:

1C Superfine Granulated Sugar

½C Light Brown Sugar

1 ½T Cornstarch

2t Vanilla Extract

2t Distilled White Vinegar

1t Almond Extract

¾C Egg Whites (from about 5-6 Large Eggs), Room Temperature

Pinch of Salt

For the Macerated Summer Berries:

1lb Strawberries, Trimmed + Quartered

1lb Blackberries

1lb Raspberries

3T Sugar

1T Balsamic Vinegar

1t Vanilla

Pinch of Salt

For the Meyer Lemon Zabaglione:

2 Large Eggs

4 Large Egg Yolks

½C Sugar

2 Meyer Lemons, Zested

1 Meyer Lemon, Juiced

¼C Marsala Wine

2T Brandy

For the Sour Cream Whipped Cream:

2C Heavy Cream, Chilled

2/3C Sour Cream

1t Vanilla

1T Confectioners’ Sugar (sifted)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees with a rack in the middle. Lightly spray 3 cake pans with Pam, line with parchment paper, and dust with confections’ sugar (knocking out the excess until a light coating is left).

2. For the Brown Sugar Pavlova Meringue: Pulse the superfine sugar, brown sugar, and cornstarch in the bowl of a food processor until well combined. Whisk together the vanilla, vinegar, and almond extract in a small bowl, set it aside. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt using an electric mixer at medium speed until they hold soft peaks. Increase speed to medium-high and add the sugar mixture 1 tablespoon at a time. After all sugar has been added, beat 1 minute more. Add extract-vinegar mixture, and then beat at high speed until meringue is glossy and holds stiff peaks, about 5 minutes. Spoon meringue into pans (about 2 1/2 cups per pan) and smooth tops. Bake until meringues have a crisp crust and feel dry to the touch, about 1 hour (insides will still be marshmallow-like). Turn oven off and prop door open slightly with a wooden spoon. Cool meringues in oven 1 hour (the meringues may sink slightly and crack while cooling). Run knife along sides of cake pans and carefully turn meringues out of pans. Carefully peel off parchment (meringues will be fragile and the crust may crack further). Carefully turn right side up.

3. For the Macerated Summer Berries: Toss berries with sugar, balsamic, and vanilla; let stand at room temperature until ready to use (up to 1 hour). Season with a pinch of salt, if needed, right before layering into the Pavlova.

4. For the Meyer Lemon Zabaglione: Combine all the ingredients in a stainless steel bowl and set aside. Choose a saucepan large enough to set the bowl over and fill it with 2 inches of water. Bring to a simmer. Whisk the egg mixture in the bowl. Place the bowl over the simmering water and whisk vigorously until it is about triple in volume and thick and frothy. Lift the bowl off the steam a few times, while whisking, to insure that the mixture does not get too hot and scramble the eggs. The total cooking time will be about 8 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk to cool slightly. Serve now, or cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface and use within 2 hours. It may need to be whisked again just before serving.

5. For the Sour Cream Whipped Cream: Beat heavy cream with sour cream using an electric mixer until it just holds soft peaks. Chill until yo are ready to use.

6. Layering the Pavlova: Put 1 meringue on a serving plate, spread one third of sour cream whipped cream over it, followed by one third of the meyer lemon zabaglione. Spoon one third of macerated summer berries, with its’ juice over top. Repeat with remaining meringues, cream, and fruit. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve immediately.

source: three layer berry and brown sugar pavlova. lemon zabaglione.

Vanilla Bean-Roasted Peach Bellini’s with Strawberry Puree Ice Cubes

Vanilla Bean-Roasted Peach Bellini's with Strawberry Puree Ice Cubes

What's more fitting than a Bellini or Mimosa on a Sunday-Brunch-kinda-morning? I'm a sucker for any champagne cocktail, so when we recently got engaged, I knew I had to make a specialty drink for our little pre-engagement party. These were perfect, absolutely perfect. We used fresh + ripe Georgia peaches and roasted them in the oven for an even more concentrated peachy flavor, and then boosted them with some vanilla bean for sweetness. The glasses are topped off with champagne and frozen strawberry puree ice cubes. I happened to see some heart shaped ice cube trays at Target the day of our party and just somehow had to incorporate them that night, and this was the perfect way! The hearts were so adorable, and added a lovely sweetness + just the slightest pink tint at the top! We had to put some cute, vintage paper straws because it is an obvious addition. Feel free to do as you please :)

the heart shapes are so cute.

For the Vanilla Bean-Roasted Peach Puree:

4-5 Large Peaches, Seed Removed & Split in Half

Honey, For drizzling

Sugar, For Sprinkling

1 Vanilla Bean, Split & Scraped for Seeds

For the Strawberry Puree Ice Cubes:

20oz Fresh Strawberries, Cut into Pieces

½C Sugar

Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice, To Taste (optional)

For the Vanilla Bean-Roasted Peach Bellini’s:
Prepared Roasted Peach Puree, Chilled

Champagne, For Filling

Prepared Strawberry Puree Ice Cubes

Directions:

1. For the Roasted Peach Puree: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare the peaches by cutting them in half and removing their center seed. Toss the peaches with the honey and place them cut-side down in a roasting pan. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, and then flip them over, sprinkle heavily with sugar, and continue roasting them for another 15-20 minutes. For the last 5 minutes of roasting, turn the oven up to broil and let the fruit flesh caramelize and brown. Remove them from the oven and let them cool completely. After cooling, remove the peach peels and puree them in a food processor until smooth. Add in the vanilla bean seeds and pulse until thoroughly mixed. Pour into a jar and cool completely.

2. For the Strawberry Puree Ice Cubes: Put the strawberries and their juice in the bowl of a food processor or blender and process the berries until they are pureed.  Add ¼C of the sugar to start and stir until the sugar dissolves. Taste and add more sugar if needed. Also add a little lemon juice to taste. Pulse until smooth and pour into a measuring cup. Using the measuring cup, gently pour the puree into the heart shaped ice cube containers. Freeze until hard.

3. For the Vanilla Bean-Roasted Peach Bellini’s: Pour some of the vanilla bean peach puree into a flute or glass, and fill the rest of it with champagne to the rim. Add in a few strawberry puree ice cubes and serve with a pretty vintage straw.

Summer Staples : Roasted Summer Berry Swirled Buttermilk Ice Cream Sandwiches with Rehydrated Berry-Sweet Corn Cookies + Lemon Curd Center

Summer Staples : Roasted Summer Berry Swirled Buttermilk Ice Cream Sandwiches with
Rehydrated Berry-Sweet Corn Cookies + Lemon Curd Center

I've been on a really big ice cream sandwich kick as of this summer. It's really the perfect cool treat during a hot day. Especially when you have a homemade cookie and a killer creamy-icy filling... it can't be beat! These summer treats start with Momofuku's famous sweet corn cookie that has been dialed up a notch with some vanilla bean rum rehydrated summer berries. The chilled cookie dough is then rolled in raw bourbon vanilla sugar, which gives it the perfect crackly-crunchy exterior. These cookies are truly fabulous on their own and I can guarantee you'll want to make them over and over again like I have in the last month. They taste like a mixture between cornbread + yellow cake. It's divine and you just have to make them! Better yet, make them with ice cream stuffed in between the middle. This ice cream is Southern to its core because it has the ever-so-popular buttermilk as the base. It's perfectly tangy and is balanced amazingly with the swirls of sweet berry preserves. But what I'm most excited about is the lemon curd center. With the use of my handy-dandy doughnut cutter, I was able to cut out perfectly round ice cream fillings, and then pop our the center and fill it with creamy lemon curd. It's the  best little surprise when you bite into the ice cream sandwiches and get a lemony burst of flavor! All of these components work together brilliantly and quite frankly, I can't wait to use this doughnut-ice cream filling technique for sandwiches in the future!! Enjoy :)

For the Roasted Summer Berry Swirled Buttermilk Ice Cream:

1 Stick Unsalted Butter, Melted & Cooled Slightly

2C Heavy Cream

1C Buttermilk, Well-Shaken

6 Egg Yolks

1C Sugar

½t Salt

2T Buttermilk Powder, Sifted

1t Vanilla

2T Vanilla Bean Infused Rum (or any kind of infused booze that is clear)

1 Whole Vanilla Bean, Split & Scraped for Seeds

Homemade Roasted Summer Berry Jam (or any other kind of preserves may be used)

Homemade or Store-Bought Lemon Curd, For the Center Filling

For the Rehydrated Berry-Sweet Corn Cookies:

2 Sticks of Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature

1 ½C Sugar

1 Egg

1 1/3C AP Flour

¼C Corn Flour

2/3C Freeze Dried Corn Powder

¾t Baking Powder

¼t Baking Soda

1 ½t Salt

½C Each of Dehydrated or Freeze Dried Berries (blueberries, raspberries, & strawberries)

2-3T Vanilla Bean Infused Rum (or just enough to barely rehydrate the berries until soft)

Raw Bourbon Vanilla Sugar, For Rolling the Cookies in

Directions:

1. For the Roasted Summer Berry Swirled Buttermilk Ice Cream: In a saucepan, bring the cream, buttermilk, sifted buttermilk powder, vanilla bean pods, and vanilla bean seeds to a simmer. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and salt until fluffy. Slowly whisk in the melted butter. Once combined, gradually and slowly into the simmering milk. Pour this mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, until thickened (it should coat the back of a spoon). Strain the custard into a bowl that is placed into an ice bath. Stir in the vanilla bean infused rum and vanilla. Cool the custard base until completely chilled. Once the mixture is chilled, freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. As soon as the mixture is done churning, pour or scoop in one-third of the ice cream into a large container, and then spoon some of the summer berry preserves on top of the ice cream. Using the spoon, smooth it out into any even layer and swirl it some for a pretty marbling effect. Repeat this process until all of the ice cream and preserves have been use. Once it has been assembled, store in the freezer until firm, at least 4 hours.

2. For the Rehydrated Berry-Sweet Corn Cookies:In a small bowl combine the dried summer fruit with the vanilla bean infused rum. Using a spoon, toss the berries and liquid together until they are completely coated. Let them sit and plump up while you make the cookie dough batter. Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, and cream together on medium-high for about 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg, and beat for 7 to 8 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, corn flour, corn powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix just until the dough comes together, beat no longer than 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in the rehydrated berries and gently beat them in until they are just incorporated. Using an ice cream scoop, portion out the cookie dough onto a Silpat-lined sheet pan. Pat the tops of the cookie dough balls until they are flat on top. Wrap the sheet pan tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 12-24 hours. Do not bake your cookies from room temperature or they will not bake up properly.

3. Baking the Cookies:Remove the chilled cookie dough balls from the refrigerator and immediately roll them in the raw sugar (this will give them a crackly crust, yet chewy interior). Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the chilled dough a minimum of 4 inches apart on Silpat-lined sheet pans. Bake for 18 minutes. The cookies will puff, crackle, and spread. After 18 minutes, they should be faintly browned on the edges yet still bright yellow in the center; give them an extra minute if not. Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pans before transferring to a plate or to an airtight container for storage. At room temp, the cookies will keep fresh for 5 days.

4. Preparing the Ice Cream Center:Using a doughnut cookie cutter, cut out rounds of the buttermilk ice cream. And then using a knife or spoon, push or scoop out the center of the ice cream. Place the hollowed out rounds onto parchment paper and freeze them again to re-harden or re-firm the texture of the ice cream. Once it has frozen again, place the ice cream rounds onto a cookie and spoon some lemon curd into the hollowed out center. Top with another cookie and enjoy before it melts!