Potato Pizza

As I was packing boxes from today's harvest in the rain, I overheard Greg mention something about chard. Ooo la la, chard! I could not help but interrupt and ask if it was one of the new veggies for the CSA boxes. To my delight, it was. Immediately, I thought gratin. Oh wait, what about pizza. Yes...PIZZA. But not just any sort of pizza. How about chard with a cracked egg and swiss? Greg must have known my mind was on food, as always, and proceeded to list off the CSA box items,

new potatoes (pink, delicate flavor), chard, mizuna, lettuce, onions, red mustard, broccoli...

There must be one or two more items, but for the moment, it escapes me. Anyway, to go along with my pizza idea, I began to think of ways to incorporate the other veggies. That's when it struck me. Potato pizza crust prepared two ways, one with the chard and egg; the other with kohlrabi, broccoli, and bacon.

You must try this recipe for yourself and discover the harmony of flavors for you will not leave disappointed and hungry. Seconds or thirds is a must.

Potato Pizza Crust

Makes one large pizza or two mediums

1 cup mashed potatoes

2 tsp. yeast

1 cup water

1 Tbsp wheat germ

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. sugar

3 cloves roasted garlic

2 cups whole-wheat flour

¾-1 ½ cup all purpose flour

In a small bowl or cup combine water (warm to the touch), sugar and yeast. After fifteen minutes, combine in a stand mixer with the remaining ingredients being sure to start with ¾ cup all-purpose flour. If the dough is too sticky, then adjust by adding more of the all-purpose flour.

Once kneaded for 5 minutes in the machine, place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a towel for a minimum of one hour (a warm environment is preferred). Preheat oven at 450 in the mean time.

After one hour, mold to a baking sheet in a flat circle or square.

Add desired toppings. (see below)

Swiss Chard topping

(one medium sized pizza)

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 ½ c. thinly sliced chard

2 cloves of roasted garlic

2 ounces of swiss cheese grated

2 eggs

Salt and pepper

Top the pizza dough as follows: garlic spread as even as possible, chard, 2 eggs cracked (on top the bed of chard diagonal from one another), swiss cheese, salt and pepper.

Kohlrabi Bacon Mash topping

2 kohlrabi, softball sized trimmed, peeled and diced

5 strips of bacon, thickly sliced

1 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. milk

¾ cup broccoli, thinly sliced with stems

2 cloves garlic

2 ounces swiss cheese, grated

salt and pepper

Boil the kohlrabi and mash with butter and milk once it has cooked thoroughly. Add the roasted garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook the bacon frying pan and reserve bacon fat. Once cooked and sizzling, put to the side.

Top the pizza as follows: kohlrabi mash, bacon, drizzle bacon fat, add broccoli and lastly the cheese.

Lower the oven to 425 and bake for 15-20 minutes, being careful not to burn the crust.