I have been growing a beautiful little patch of chard in my garden this year, and with my first harvest coming in, have been looking forward to turning it into a delicious dish. I wanted something flavorful and beautiful, but a little different than what I have been cooking recently. This weekend, I went to a dinner at my lovely friends Vanessa and Romain’s house and they decided to have a pizza party, and the answer came to me, I would use my chard on a pizza with some delicious ricotta and a bit of spice!

I decided to invite my parents over for a bit of a pizza party myself! Chard always goes down well with fried pork of some kind, be it bacon, ham or the sweet Italian sausage I found at the market this weekend. It worked wonderfully with a trio of cheeses: provolone, ricotta, and Parmesan. I am sure you can switch provolone for some other mild cheeses like Fontina or Gruyere.

Below, I offer my recipe for pizza dough. I prefer to make the dough for two pies at a time and leave half in the freezer, it is easier if you are using packets of yeast, but can easily be divided in half!

I served this pizza alongside with some Fresh Pea Soup and a dessert of Lemon Pudding topped with Lemon Curd (stay tuned for the recipes tomorrow and Thursday.

I love hosting my parents, we always have such a great time every time we catch up. My dad loved the pizza and was happy to sample some of the Scotch I brought back from my trip to London.

Homegrown Chard, Sausage and Ricotta Pizza

pizza dough (enough for two pies, divide in half for one pie):
3 1/2 – 4 cups flour
1 tsp. sugar
2 1/2 tsp. yeast
1 1/2 cups hot water
2 tbsp. olive oil plus extra to oil the dough

pizza topping:
3 tbsp. olive oil
3-4 links Italian sausage, casings removed (about 3/4 – 1 pound)
1 bunch of Swiss chard, roughly chopped leaves, stems chopped into 1 inch pieces or so, separated
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbsp. rosemary leaves, roughly chopped
1 cup grated provolone cheese
1 cup ricotta cheese

1. dough: Combine all but the extra oil in a stand mixer until dough comes together, about 2-3 minutes on low speed.
   Knead for 2 minutes on a floured surface until even ball forms.
2. Grease bowl with extra oil. cover, and rest for 1 hour until double in size. You can prepare this more than an hour in advance if needed. I have left the dough on a counter for 4 hours without adverse affects.
3. Divide into two for a 12×18 inch dough.

1. filling: Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
   Cook sausage with 1 tbsp. of olive oil in a deep frying pan. Break up and cook until lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes. Add chard stems. Cook for 2 minutes until cooked through and softened a bit.
2. Add leaves, mix to coat in oil, cook to wilt for about 2 minutes.
   Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
3. Roll out dough on lightly oiled cookie sheet to a 12×18 inch rectangle.
   Brush the dough with 2 tbsp. oil, season with salt and pepper.
   Sprinkle with half of the crushed red pepper, half the Parmesan, and half of the rosemary.
4. Spread the sausage mixture over the pizza, leaving about a half inch border.
   Spread ricotta in dollops all over the surface and sprinkle provolone on top.
   Top with the remaining red pepper, Parmesan, and rosemary.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and crispy on the edges. Rest for a few minutes before serving.

Dad approves of pizza!

Closed eyed pizza moment?

Total cooking time: 40 minutes

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