Pizza Provencal
I actually have no idea if this constitutes Provencal but to me these flavours are synonymous with the region!
Serves 4
1 batch of whole wheat pizza dough
1 ½ Pints grape or cherry tomatoes, halved.
2 227 g (454 g) packages of sliced white button mushrooms
4 Cloves garlic crushed
2 Green onions/scallions sliced (both white and green parts)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
8 – 10 Fresh sprigs of thyme
175 g part skim mozzarella cheese, grated
1 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese
5 or 6 Basil leaves sliced in a chiffonade (ribbons)
Salt
Pepper
– Prepare the pizza dough as outlined and while the crust is baking in the oven for the first 12 minutes:
– Place a large frying pan on high heat and add the olive oil.
– When the oil is hot (it will ripple), drop the heat to medium-high and add the mushrooms; sauté for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are browned.
– Season with salt and black pepper.
– Add the tomatoes and again, season with salt and pepper.
– Drop the heat to medium and add the garlic, stir well.
– Add the fresh thyme; pull the leaves off into the tomato and mushroom mixture and also throw in the stems (the stems add tons of flavour and will be removed later).
– The tomatoes and mushrooms should have given off a lot of liquid at this point so turn the heat back up to high to reduce some of the liquid.
– When the pizza crust is ready to come out of the oven, pour the contents of the frying pan (including the remaining liquid) on top of the crust (this is where you remove the thyme stems, careful not to burn yourself).
– Using a spoon spread the tomato and mushroom mixture evenly and then top with the green onions.
– Put the pizza in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, careful not to burn the crust.
– Remove the pizza from the oven and turn the broiler on to high.
– Top the pizza with the mozzarella and then top the mozzarella with the parmesan and then with the basil.
– Broil the pizza until the cheese is bubbling and is slightly browned.
– Let the pizza stand for at least 5 minutes before you slice it.