Local dining inspires pizza

Kale is not an item that most people eat daily and it is certainly not an item that you will find regularly on most menus.  This past week, I managed to find kale as the center piece of two wonderful dishes!

The first was Wednesday night while my friends and I were at the fantastic restaurant Pizzeria Posto in Somerville for a Rapscallion beer tasting.  I frequent this place regularly because, without exception, they deliver consistently delicious food.  Since I know this to be true I am happy to try things that, at another restaurant, I may shy away from.  At Posto there is a Tuscan Kale pizza with roasted kale, homemade fior di latte, smoked bacon, farm egg and caramelized onion.  We omitted the bacon (obviously) and my friend and I mistakenly thought the other wanted to omit the egg (we will go back and we will get the egg!).  Anyway, kale on pizza?  Why not?!  Even with the omissions, the pizza was fantastic.  The kale was cooked well and the fresh cheese (made in house) was prefect.  A huge bonus to the staff for always being willing to change a dish around for the annoying vegetarian in the room!

Later that week, I made the journey to Lexington to a place called nourish.  With a name like this, how could I not?  Their mission is simple: serve responsible sourced food for a reasonable price.    It is less than year old and seems to be settling in fine with the residents of Lexington (and a couple from Somerville!).  I will not talk about the amazing white chocolate chip brown I devoured, but instead about the main dish..butternut squash, mushrooms, kale(!) over whole wheat pasta with a brown butter sauce.  I love that whole wheat pasta the pasta of choice..not something that has to be substituted in!  The brown butter sauce was light and did not drown out the vegetables. The greens could have easily been spinach, but they went for the kale..and that is pretty awesome.   I did have to add a little salt (which I never do) but I would rather have to add a bit then eat a meal that I wish had far less...I like being in control of my own salt intake..

So how did this all come together in my kitchen?  Well I lifted the nourish ingredients minus the pasta and placed them on a pizza crust.  Outcome?  Fabulous!  The best part is that everything was purchased locally..for an extra fresh taste.  The butternut squash and kale were bought at the Somerville Winter Farmers Market...

Butternut Squash, Kale, Mushroom Whole Wheat Pizza

Ingredients:

100% Whole Wheat Pizza dough (Dave's Fresh Pasta)

1/2  Butternut Squash (Winter Moon Farm, Hadley MA)

2 cups finely chopped Kale (Enterprise Farm, MA)

5 crimini mushrooms (PA)

1 oz Goat cheese (Vermont Creamery)

1 tbsp oil

salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees

Quickly blanche the kale in boiling water (1 minute) and then drain.  Squish out as much moisture as possible.

Chop the squash into small cubes, slice the mushrooms and add to a bowl with kale.  Toss with oil, salt and pepper.

Top on rolled out dough and add dollops of goat cheese.   

I took the picture before I added the cheese!

Cook for about 20 minutes (ovens vary).  

I loved the fresh and amazing color of this pizza..not to mention the delectable taste!

Hope you enjoy!

~L