Green Tea Pesto & Roasted Root Vegetables
Green tea pesto (with ground green tea leaves, garlic, cilantro, basil, grated Parmesan, pumpkin seeds, salt, wasabi paste, green hot pepper sauce, grapeseed oil, olive oil, preserved lemon, sea salt), oven-roasted beets & turnips, buffalo mozzarella, pine nuts, panko bread crumbs, drizzled balsamic vinegar
Recipe
Ingredients: 1 ball of pizza dough olive oil flour for dusting
semolina flour for pizza stone salt & pepper 2-3 red beets, peeled & cut into wedges 2-3 turnips, peeled & cut into wedges 4 tablespoons butter, melted 2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped balsamic vinegar 1 ball of buffalo mozzarella handful of pine nuts handful of panko bread crumbs
For the pesto: 3 tablespoons green tea (loose or removed from tea bags), ground with mortar & pestle 1 large garlic clove, coarsely chopped 3 cups loosely packed fresh cilantro 2 cups loosely packed fresh basil 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds, shelled 1-2 teaspoons wasabi paste 1-2 teaspoons green hot pepper sauce 1/3 cup grapeseed oil 1 teaspoon sea salt ½ cup olive oil 1 teaspoon chopped preserved lemon
Directions: Preheat your oven to 400° F. Toss the root vegetables in a bowl with the melted butter, sage, and a pinch or so of salt & pepper, until coated. Then lay them out on a baking sheet in an even layer and roast, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes. Continue to roast, without stirring, for another 15 minutes or so, until fork-tender.
Increase your oven temperature to 550° F. In a food processor, combine all the ingredients for the pesto, minus the oils, and pulse until finely chopped. Scrape down the sides and add the oil, blending until you get a smooth consistency. Taste the pesto and add more seasoning if necessary.
When your oven is hot, you can prepare the dough using the instructions on the right. Once it’s been in the oven for a minute, take it out and brush it lightly with olive oil.
Spread a thin even layer of the pesto over the dough, followed by ripped-off pieces from the mozzarella ball. Next lay out your root vegetables and sprinkle with the pine nuts and bread crumbs. Drizzle balsamic vinegar lightly over the whole pizza and pop it in the oven.
Bake until the cheese is melty and the crust is a nice golden brown, and then take it out and it’s ready to eat!