Hay, Hay, Let's Play (with pizza)

Okay, so this probably isn't the most attractive edible to emerge from my oven. But DAMN did it taste good! And it's my humble contribution to January's Hay Hay, it's Donna Day, where we're celebrating pizza.

I started with the basic Donna Hay Pizza Dough, straying only slightly from the recipe as Joey posted it. I substituted whole wheat for one of the two cups of all purpose flour, hoping to increase the final product's nutritional value at least incrementally. I figured if I was going to pile it with pork fat, I'd better add nutrition somewhere. But I'm getting ahead of myself...

The pizza dough came together quickly and easily, and the twenty minute rise gave me the time to hone my knife skills prepping the toppings. I'd selected primarily locally-sourced toppings: a rapidly ripening pear from my CSA, some pancetta piana (dry-cured, skin-on pork belly that is seasoned with black pepper and rosemary most commonly found in Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna) from the Boccalone box, and a hunk of Point Reyes Blue I found blooming in the back of the cheese drawer. Over the toppings I drizzled a couple of tablespoons of a lemon and ginger infused cream honey I found at one of the farmers' markets last summer.

Fifteen minutes at 425 and... oh. my. gaaawd. Just the right combination of sweet and salty, tart and tangy. Leftovers are going to make *great* lunches for the next several days. Thank you Joey, for allowing me to play a bit with pizza toppings, and reminding me how often all of the ingredients for a fresh satisfying dinner are hiding in my pantry and refrigerator, waiting me to drop the takeout menu and unleash my creativity on them. I encourage you to go and check out the roundup at 80 Breakfasts later this month... you're bound to find additional inspiration (and far better photography) there.

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