Pizza Friday: Veggies with Goat Cheese

Another delicious pizza I made a long time ago and haven't found a chance to blog. This is a great pizza to make with summer veggies, but it's good any time of year. The freshness of the basil goes so well with the goat cheese, and the crunch of the veggies is a great contrast to the doughy crust. 

Pizza with Veggies and Goat Cheese
Modified from A Couple Cooks

1-lb ball pizza dough
1/2 cup pizza sauce (see below)
8oz shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 yellow or green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
10-12 grape tomatoes, halved
8 to 10 leaves fresh basil, minced
4 ounces soft goat cheese
Kosher salt and pepper

Preheat a pizza stone in a 500-degree oven for at least an hour while you assemble your ingredients. 

Lay a piece of parchment paper the size of the pizza stone on a work surface. Dust lightly with flour and roll out the pizza dough into a 14-inch circle. Drizzle some olive oil on the dough and rub around so all the dough is lightly coated.

Top with the pizza sauce, then the mozzarella cheese, then the veggies (peppers, onion and tomatoes). Sprinkle the basil and dollop the goat cheese evenly on top. Season lightly with salt and pepper

Transfer the pizza on the parchment paper to the pizza stone. Bake for 15 minutes, checking often to make sure there are no bubbles forming. I keep a poking fork handy to pop them during the first 5 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly, then slice.

Pizza Friday: Edamame with Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese

I've mentioned this before but one of my favorite things to do is scour the Jules Thin Crust menus for Pizza Friday inspiration. One of our favorites pies is their Veggie #12: Organic edamame, ricotta cheese, organic goat cheese, caramelized onions, fresh mint, mozzarella, lemon vinaigrette. I've been recreating it at home for awhile and this was one of the best iterations so far.



Over the years I've decided to leave off the ricotta so the goat cheese can shine. I'm also realizing that I forgot the little spritz of lemon and/or shaving of lemon zest. I'll have to remember for next time.

Edamame with Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese Pizza
Inspired by Jules Thin Crust

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
salt and pepper
1/2 ball of pizza dough
1 cup shelled edamame
8 oz mozzarella, shredded
4oz goat cheese
fresh mint, minced, to taste
zest of one lemon

Preheat a pizza stone in a 500-degree oven for at least an hour while you assemble your ingredients.

Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and season with salt and pepper. Allow the onion to cook slowly - you want it to get brown without burning. Lower the heat if the onions are browning too quickly. If the pan seems dry, add a splash of water. The onions should take about 20-30 minutes to turn a nice, caramel color and become soft.

Lay a piece of parchment paper the size of the pizza stone on a work surface. Dust lightly with flour and roll out the pizza dough into a 14-inch circle. Drizzle some olive oil on the dough and rub around so all the dough is lightly coated.

Top with the mozzarella cheese. Dollop the goat cheese by the tablespoon over the cheese then add the caramelized onions and edamame.

Transfer the pizza on the parchment paper to the pizza stone. Bake for 15 minutes, checking often to make sure there are no bubbles forming. I keep a poking stick handy to pop them during the first 5 minutes.

Remove the pizza from the oven. sprinkle the fresh mint and lemon zest on top and slice.

Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart

Do you ever see a recipe and just know, instinctively, that it's going to be amazingly delicious? That's how I felt when I read my friend Kylee's post about this Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart . I could practically taste the buttery, flaky crust, the ripe, juicy tomatoes and the tang of the goat cheese. I couldn't wait to make it.



I tried to find the Nature Sweet tomatoes Kylee mentions in her post (Eclipse tomatoes), but the stores near me don't seem to carry them (despite the Nature Sweet site claiming they did). I ended up splurging on heirloom tomatoes and I'm so glad I did. All I can say is wow. I'm lucky to live in an area known for amazing tomatoes, but it's not quite peak season yet. The heirlooms I picked up were stunning and really brought the whole tart together.

Katie helped me mix up the goat cheese spread the day before and then I assembled and baked the tart at my parent's house. We ate it as an app and holy guacamole was it delicious. Everything comes together beautifully and we were all sad when it was gone. My aunt is coming for a visit this weekend and since a pack of puff pastry comes with two sheets I'll be using her visit as an excuse to make this again. It's the perfect summer treat since you really want to make this when tomatoes are at their best. The only downside is that this wouldn't reheat well, so plan to devour the whole thing in one sitting. Maybe that's not such a bad thing...

Tomato & Goat Cheese Tart
Slightly modified from Kylee Cooks

1 puff pastry sheet, thawed in the fridge
1 egg, beaten
Grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese
4 oz goat cheese, softened (a small log, the ones in my supermarket are 4oz)
1 clove garlic, grated
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
4 heirloom tomatoes, sliced then cut into half-moons
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped roughly
Salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 425.

Place the sheet of puff pastry on a piece of parchment laid on a pizza stone or baking sheet. Use a rolling pin to gently flatten and spread out the pastry so it's smooth as well as longer and wider than when you started.

Using a sharp knife, cut a 1/2-inch strip off the pastry on all four sides. Keep the strips - you'll be adding them back onto the pastry in a minute. Brush all the pastry with the beaten egg, then put each strip you just cut back onto the dough, essentially making a border around the edges (Katie said it looked like a picture frame). Use the tines of a fork to press the strips down so they stick to the pastry underneath. Prick the entire surface (where the picture would go) with a fork. Sprinkle with some Parmesan or Pecorino cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes until puffed and golden.

Mix together the goat cheese, garlic and Italian seasoning. This can be done a day or two ahead of time. Once the puff pastry is golden brown, remove it from the oven. Spread the goat cheese mixture over the center area of the pastry (now you'll really see what Katie meant by it looking like a picture frame).

Top the goat cheese with slices of tomato. I bought different colored heirlooms so I alternated the colors to make it look pretty. Keep the tomato slices close together - you really want to pack them on for maximum flavor. Sprinkle the chopped basil and extra Parmesan or Pecorino cheese on top, then season with a little salt and pepper. Cut the tart into slices and serve.

Asparagus, Goat Cheese and Lemon Pasta

I love pasta. SP loves pasta. Baby Girl loves pasta. That said, we eat pasta at least once a week in this house. I'm always on the lookout for new recipes and after seeing various versions of this Asparagus, Goat Cheese and Lemon Pasta I decided to go to the source and see what we were missing.

This came together so quickly Baby Girl and I were scrambling the finish mixing the cheese and seasonings before the pasta and asparagus finished cooking. It took some tweaking to get the seasonings right - this needed a generous amount of salt and pepper to bring out all the flavors, plus a healthy dose of lemon juice. The pasta water really helped thin out the sauce and make it extra creamy. I ended up adding a full 8-oz log of goat cheese because, well, I'd already opened the package. I also added a fried egg to my lunch the next day - heavenly. So delicious and creamy, with a nice bite from the goat cheese and zing of the lemon juice. It tickles me that Baby Girl enjoys things like goat cheese - she was helping me crumble the cheese and then licked her fingers to get every last bit off.

A note about the above photo - Baby Girl has seen me take pictures of my food since I started cooking and blogging again after she was born. During the months when I'm able to take advantage of natural light I go out on the porch to take my photos. The night we made this, Baby Girl insisted on bringing her own bowl outside so I could photograph her portion. My heart melted.

What a perfect, easy weeknight meal. I've seen people sub spinach for the asparagus but I'm a sucker for those spears.

Asparagus, Goat Cheese and Lemon Pasta
As seen on Smitten Kitchen, adapted from Bon Appetit

1 pound spiral-shaped pasta
1 pound slender asparagus spears, trimmed, cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon, thyme or basil) plus more for garnish
1 8-ounce log soft fresh goat cheese (the pre-crumbled stuff will not melt as well)
Salt and pepper
Fresh lemon juice to taste

Cook the pasta in a large pot of well-salted water. Three minutes before the pasta is done (according to the package directions) add the asparagus and cook until firm-tender. Drain both pasta and asparagus together, reserving one cup of pasta water.

Meanwhile, combine the olive oil, lemon zest, thyme (or herb of choice) and goat cheese in a large bowl, breaking up the goat cheese as you put it in. Add the hot pasta and asparagus to the bowl, along with some of the pasta water. Toss until combined, adding more pasta water if needed. Taste and season generously with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Keep adjusting the seasonings, if needed. Serve hot or room temperature.