Skillet Eggplant and Kale Pizza


One of my favorite things in my garden is when  have enough eggplant to make something.  It has been a rough few years for eggplant plants, they have been attacked by bugs early on.  This year, however, has been a good one, very few bugs, so the eggplants have been able to grow.  Hopefully this is the start of my eggplant season.

It is also the tail end of my kale season. Just one more dish after this. I will miss the kale.

IMG_0608

Pizza from scratch, skillet pizza from scratch…definitely a winner. But make a homemade sauce and top them with the eggplant and kale from my garden and we had a delicious treat. And oh so pretty!

IMG_0626

 

The crust is light and airy, the eggplant roasted so a soft perfection and the kale sauteed with garlic – honestly, what is there NOT to like?

Skillet Eggplant and Kale Pizza

adapted from Martha Stewart Magazine Skillet Pizza with Eggplant and Greens

DOUGH

  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 2 teaspoons coarse salt
  • 1 teaspoon instant dry yeast
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

SAUCE

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Pinch of red-pepper flakes
  • 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

TOPPINGS

  • 1 eggplant (or 12 ounces small eggplants), stemmed and cut lengthwise into 1-inch-thick slices (from the garden)
  • Coarse salt
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 bunch kale, stems removed, cut into 2-inch pieces (from the garden)
  • 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced and ripped
  • 3 ounces provolone, thinly sliced and ripped
  • Fresh oregano leaves (from the garden)

Directions

Dough: Stir together flour, salt, yeast, and 1 1/4 cups water in a large bowl until dough is very sticky. Cover with plastic wrap; let stand 12 to 18 hours at room temperature.

IMG_0613

Sprinkle dough with flour. Divide in half. Divide oil between two 10-inch ovenproof nonstick skillets (preferably cast iron). Swirl to coat. Add dough to each skillet; turn to coat with oil. Gently flatten dough with your hand. Cover; let rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.

Sauce: Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add pepper flakes and onion. Cook, stirring, until onion is tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add tomatoes and juices. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, about 20 minutes.

IMG_0609-0

Let cool slightly. Puree sauce in a blender, in batches (to avoid filling jar more than halfway), until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

IMG_0612

Toppings: Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place eggplant in a colander; season with salt. Let stand 30 minutes.

IMG_0607

Rinse eggplant, drain, and pat dry. Arrange on a baking sheet; brush with 2 tablespoons oil. Roast, turning once, until very tender, about 25 minutes. Let cool slightly, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces.

IMG_0614

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add chard in batches with 1 to 2 tablespoons water. Cook, stirring, until just wilted, about 5 minutes. Season with salt. Let cool.

IMG_0611

Preheat oven to 475 degrees with rack in lower third. For each pizza, press dough until it touches edge of skillet. Ladle 3/4 cup sauce over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Top with 3 ounces cheese. Add 1/2 cup each chard and eggplant. Top with another 3 ounces cheese.

IMG_0621

Bake until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted, about 18 minutes. Sprinkle with oregano; serve and enjoy.

IMG_0623

Makes 2 10″ pizzas.
IMG_0626

One Comment Add yours

  1. chefceaser says:

    Reblogged this on Chef Ceaser.

    Like

Let me know what you think of this post, and if you try the recipe, please let me know how it was and any suggestions you have. Thanks, Andrea