There's something soothing about a sweet ripe peach gliding over your palate at the same time a spicy chili pepper is burning its way across.
I'm torn between enjoying these juicy delicacies in pies, yogurt, and cereal for as long as they last or just devouring the ripe fruit right out of the suede skin. But I decided to part with one for an original savory peach recipe.
I had no olive oil, no onion, and no garlic but still I was determined to craft a creative culinary pizza masterpiece and use what I had on hand without going to the store.
The one vital ingredient that prompted this brainstorm and directed my mission was a bounty of the most succulent peaches I've ever tasted. I actually think I say this about peaches every year but each summer I forget the previous and declare this season the best ever.
2 hot chili peppers beckoned to be picked from my garden along with some hatch chilies. And pizza is a fantastic way to use leftover chicken. Poultry that's been marinated works great because the sauce gives your pie another layer of flavor.
This pizza delivers a satisfying punch of flavor with leftover marinated chicken, roasted Jalapenos, Cuban bell peppers, Hatch chilies, four cheeses, and peach slices.
When I removed it steaming from the oven, I layered on fresh basil and Cuban Oregano leaves and for crunch, pistachio nuts. And all supported by a homemade yeasty crust.
Nothing beats the natural light so I was in a mad rush to beat the dusk that was soon settling in.
By the time my pie came out of the oven I needed to carry my pizza topped stool into the road for optimal evening light. Since I'm sure there are a few laws I'd be breaking by putting up a blockade saying, "photography in session," I think I'll start cooking a little earlier :)
Ingredients
1 Jalepeno pepper, cut into strips
1 Cajun bell pepper, cut into strips
1 Hatch chili pepper, cut into strips
1 tablespoon Grape seed oil plus a little more for brushing on crust
salt and pepper to taste
1 pizza crust (handmade, store bought, or from a pizzeria)
2 leftover marinated chicken thighs, chopped
2 to 3 cups cheese (combination of Parmesan, Asiago, hot pepper, and white cheddar or your favorites)
1 large peach or 2 small, sliced
1/3 cup pistachios, whole
1/2 cup fresh purple basil and Cuban Oregano leaves, unchopped
Directions
Heat oven to 400. Coat peppers in oil, salt, and pepper. Spread out flat on a sheet pan and roast for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender but not charred. Remove from oven and turn heat up to 425 degrees.
Press crust out onto a pizza pan or stone and brush with oil. Sprinkle chicken evenly over crust. Then add half of cheese over chicken. Layer pepper strips around in a circle and finally arrange the peaches.
Bake for about 15 to 17 minutes or until crust is lightly browned and crisp on the bottom. Before slicing and serving, toss the pistachios over the pizza and garnish with the fresh herbs.
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