The original recipe is actually Leek, Ricotta & Walnut Pizza, but Gist and I are both huge goat cheese fans, and I thought its tanginess would complement the leeks and walnuts perfectly. I was right and this pizza was amazing (but I think that it would also be good without the addition of goat cheese…) It’s an easy recipe that packs a huge flavor punch – I think the combination of leeks, cheese and walnuts would also make a nice galette filling.
Three large leeks are sautéed…
…until they are soft and delicious.
While the leeks are cooling, combine your cheeses…
…and spread the mixture on a par-baked crust (5 minutes at 550).
Add the leeks and walnuts, and pop it into the oven…
…until the walnuts are toasty and everything is golden-brown and delicious.
Leek, Chèvre & Walnut Pizza
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light
- Pizza Dough
- cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 4 cups thinly sliced leek (about 3 large)
- 1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup goat cheese
- 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
- salt & black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
- 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 550F.
Roll dough into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Place the dough on a (12-inch) pizza pan or baking sheet coated with cooking spray and sprinkled with cornmeal. Crimp the edges of the dough with fingers to form a rim.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add leek; sauté for 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
Combine cheeses, salt, pepper, and garlic in a bowl. Spread the cheese mixture over pizza crust, leaving a 1-inch border. Top with the leek mixture, and sprinkle with walnuts. Bake at 550° for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
I also have a grocery list to share:
- Leeks for $2.49
- 1 head of red leaf lettuce for $1.19
- 1 cuke for $.50
- 8 oz. of chèvre for $2.99
- 1 bag of frozen ravioli for $2.69
- 16 oz. of ricotta for $1.89
- 1 jar of black peppercorns fro $3.99
- 2 bottles of Polar grapefruit seltzer for $1.60
- 6 poppy seed bagels for $1.99
- Quaker yellow cornmeal for $$1.59
- 1 can of tomato paste for $.50
- 1 large can of diced tomatoes for $.99
Total = $22.41. The stuff for the pizza and the salad I served with it totaled $10.65 (but the only thing I used all of was the leeks), cheaper than delivery!
Now, I’m having a bit of a dilemma today – I just don’t feel like shopping or cooking.* Today is one of those days that, if I were working, I’d say “I don’t feel like it, let’s just go out.” Unfortunately, that’s not an option right now.
I was planning to make a French Lentil Salad with Caramelized Balsamic Vinaigrette for supper both because it looks yummy and because I think it would be perfect to bring to a picnic that’s happening in a few weeks. To make it, I’d have to go to the store and buy the ingredients – blah – and cook and prepare those ingredients – blah (why yes, that sound you hear is indeed the smallest violin playing a sad sorry song of woe for me…) I can’t decide whether I should just suck it up and make the lentils or if I can pull something together from items I have on hand – tune in tomorrow to see what happens…
*I tossed and turned all last night because I was having the most incredible, epic nightmare about zombie wolves in NYC. It was so scary that it kept waking me up but after I’d fall back to sleep, it just kept going. I hated it. I took an hour-long bike ride this morning, hoping that it would invigorate me – the ride was quite lovely but had the opposite effect, I’m just really over-tired and crabby.
Art is the Handmaid of Human Good 
Friday, May 1, 2009 at 12:33 pm
It reminds me of a pissaladière albeit without anchovies.
If you have access to fromage blanc, that could also be substituted in place of goat cheese.
As for your cooking situation, I vote for seeing what you have on hand. Some of the best meals I’ve had have been from taking stock of the pantry and making the best of that situation.
Good luck and enjoy.