Rutabaga, Mushrooms & Ginger-Roasted Pears
Smashed rutabaga puree (with butter, thyme & heavy cream), roasted green Anjou & red Bartlett pears (glazed with minced fresh ginger, lemon juice, sugar & olive oil), sautéed wild oyster & shiitake mushrooms, gorgonzola cheese
Recipe
Ingredients: 1 ball pizza dough olive oil salt & pepper flour for dusting
semolina flour for pizza stone 3 rutabagas, peeled & cubed 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled & minced 1 ½ teaspoons sugar 3-4 pears (we used half green Anjou & half red Bartlett) 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream 5 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, plus more for mushrooms a couple handfuls of wild mushrooms (we used oyster & shiitake), sliced & stems removed gorgonzola cheese
Directions: Preheat your oven to 400° F. While it’s heating, boil a pot of water with a pinch of salt, and cook the rutabagas in it for about 35 minutes, until they are nice and tender.
Cut about half of your pears into slices, and peel and dice the rest. Combine 1 ½ tablespoons of oil in a bowl with ginger, lemon juice and sugar. Add the pears and toss to coat them in the mixture. Spread them out on a baking sheet that you’ve brushed lightly with oil.
Roast them for about 30 minutes, turning them over every 10 minutes and keeping an eye on them to make sure they don’t burn. When they’re finished, set them aside and increase the oven temperature to 550° F.
Meanwhile, saute the mushrooms over medium heat and some olive oil. Throw a little thyme in there and let them simmer for about 8 minutes or so, until they are tender and releasing juices.
When the rutabagas are done boiling, drain the water out and return them to the same pot. Mash them to a coarse puree, and stir over medium heat until excess water evaporates, about 5 minutes. Next, add the cream, butter and thyme, followed by the diced roasted pears. Stir the mixture and season with salt & pepper.
Prepare the pizza dough using the instructions on the right. Once you’ve baked it for a minute, take it out and brush it lightly with olive oil. Spread the rutabaga puree evenly over the dough, followed by the mushrooms, sliced pears and crumbled gorgonzola. Put the pizza back in the oven and let it bake until the crust is a nice golden brown. Then take it out and enjoy!