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Asparagus Goat Cheese Potato Pizza

This asparagus goat cheese potato pizza is the perfect switch up to your normal pizza routine. Full of flavor and totally delicious.

Seriously I really do love goat cheese.  Over the past five years my love of cheese has started to blossom. Before that the only cheese I ever really ate was the stuff that was wrapped in plastic, the kind that came on my pizza or occasionally my mom would buy slices of Colby cheese and we would eat the huge round slices together.  I remember when I was growing up my stepsister loved cheese.  It was her favorite food and every year inside her stocking my mom and step dad would put a huge ball of mozzarella and then she would sit there and eat it like an apple. I never understood her love for cheese. I found it “ok” but nothing I would go out of my way for.  The first time I had an “exotic” cheese (I use the word exotic because as I wrote my cheese experiences were not very worldly) I was in California and my grandfather brought home some brie cheese. I remember looking at this weird soft cheese and thinking “there is no way I’m going to eat that!”  Unfortunately that kind of attitude did not work with my grandfather so I reluctantly tried the cheese and realized I love it.  It was something I couldn’t stop eating. In fact I remember that night I didn’t even finish my dinner  because I had eaten too much cheese and was really really really full.

Now fast forward many many many years and I’m starting to sample more cheeses and realizing that cheese really is great. It is starting to be something I might go out of my way to get. I’m not about to eat a ball of mozzarella like an apple, but I will cut myself a few slices and enjoy:)  Last year my boyfriend and I went to Hawaii and this is where I sampled my first bite of goat cheese. I remember he and I were at the Hawaiian Vanilla Company (the only vanilla plantation in the U.S….or so I was told)  and had a lovely lunch with the owners of the plantation. His wife made an entire meal that used vanilla.  She made stuffed chicken breast with goat cheese and basil and the minute I put that in my mouth I was in heaven. My only thought at that moment was “why in the hell hadn’t I tried this sooner!”  As I type this my mouth is salivating just thinking about how I wish I had some goat cheese in the fridge.

The recipe I made for this blog was something I found in my new issues of Bon Appetit.  It is a goat cheese, asparagus and fingerling potato pizza. Everything about that combination made me happy. I know that some people may think “potatoes on pizza?!?!” but trust me it’s delicious.  The first time I had potatoes on pizza I thought the same thing until I bit into it and realized how completely awesome it was. If you are ever in Connecticut hit up Sally’s Pizza in New Haven or Willington Pizza in Willington and try their potato pizza. Trust me you will be sold!  This pizza turned out even better than my expectations.  I do not make a lot of homemade pizza but after making this I realized I should. I get to use good quality ingredients and do whatever my little pizza making heart desires.  I used store bought fresh dough but if you feel adventurous make some yourself.  Enjoy!!!

Asparagus Goat Cheese Potato Pizza

Ingredients:

5 ounce fingerling potatoes
Cornmeal (for sprinkling)
16 ounces pizza dough
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil - divided
1 garlic clove - pressed
4 green onions - thin sliced, divided
1 1/3 cup grated whole-milk mozzarella cheese
4 ounces soft fresh goat cheese - crumbled
8 ounces asparagus - trimmed, each spear cut in half lengthwise, then crosswise into 2 to 3 inch pieces
1/2 C. grated Parmesan cheese

Source: Bon Appetit

Directions:

Place potatoes in small saucepan. Add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Sprinkle with salt. Bring to boil and cook until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain. Cool. Cut potatoes into thin slices.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Sprinkle rimless baking sheet with cornmeal. Roll and stretch pizza dough to 16x11-inch oval. Transfer to baking sheet. Mix 1 tablespoon olive oil and garlic in small bowl. Brush garlic oil over dough. Sprinkle 3/4 of green onions over, then mozzarella, leaving 1/2-inch plain border. Top with potato slices and goat cheese. Toss asparagus and 1 tablespoon oil in medium bowl. Scatter asparagus over pizza. Sprinkle with Parmesan, then lightly with salt and generously with pepper.

Bake pizza until crust is browned and asparagus is tender, about 18 minutes. Transfer to cutting board. Sprinkle with remaining green onions. Cut into pieces.