During these times of uncertainty, we like to share ways for you and our community to stay connected to nature anytime and anywhere to prepare, comfort and inspire.
Nature Is Waiting
Make this summer’s pizza all about the toppings.
Let’s face it - we all spend time with nature for many reasons. Nature grounds us, comforts us, inspires and challenges us. It makes us happier, healthier, and more respectful of our environment. Nature also fuels us through flavor. To enjoy the tastes of summer we are sharing Boulder Fjällräven Guide Lentine Alexis’s Cast-Iron Wild Vegetable Pizza. As a classically trained chef, Lentine uses her endless curiosity around nourishment and passionate drive on eating real food to inspire others to connect with nature through diet. Here Lentine offers her wild summer pizza recipe as a perfect way to nourish yourself after a day of activity around a campsite, in your local park or simply on your front porch.
We begin with a risen pizza dough that comes together while you’re away from camp or home during the day, and then finish with beautiful spring and summery vegetables of pea shoots, asparagus, ramps and chives. The sauce is an easy white sauce, prepared in camp or at home, and simply spread on the par-baked pizza crust. Alternatively, campers could use a store bought pizza dough, or could prepare the dough at home before leaving for camp.
Starter ingredients:
7 grams White Flour (Bread, 00, or all-purpose if neither of those are at hand)
7 grams Whole-Wheat Flour
15 grams Water (70-ish degrees)
1/8 teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
OR 30 grams homemade sourdough starter
Dough ingredients:
130 mL of water (70°F degrees)
5 grams extra virgin olive oil
180g Antimo Caputo “00” flour, or 90g white flour, 90g whole wheat flour
A generous pinch of sea salt
Toppings:
Spring asparagus
Pea shoots
Peas
1 cup (8 oz./250 g) ricotta cheese
Kosher salt, to taste
1/2 cup (2 oz./60 g) grated Asiago cheese
Spicy chile oil for drizzling (optional)
Starter instructions:
Before you leave for camp, mix together the ingredients to make the starter. Allow to stand at room temperature for 10 hours or overnight. If you’re at home, you can refrigerate your starter for up to 8 hours before mixing the dough.
Dough instructions:
Add water to a large bowl and dissolve/disperse starter into the water with the oil. Add the flour and salt and mix until the flour is completely hydrated and a soft dough forms. Drizzle a clean bowl with oil and place the dough inside, rolling it around to coat. Cover it lightly with plastic wrap and leave to stand at ambient temperature until the dough doubles in size, roughly 8-10 hours. At this point, you can refrigerate your dough in a plastic bag or glass jar and transport in a cooler to camp.
Instructions to Assemble your Pizza:
Remove your dough from the fridge 1-2 hours before making your pizza so that the dough has time to come to temperature and to proof. Preheat your cast iron skillet over burning coal embers, or over a gas stove. You want the skillet as hot as you can get it! Remove the dough from it’s container and press onto a floured surface or cutting board. Press from the center outward using floured fingertips, being careful to leave an untouched and puffy lip around the edge. When the dough is roughly the size of the cast-iron pan, drizzle a bit of olive oil into the pan and transfer the dough to the pan. Bake until puffy and golden, then flip the dough over. Spread the charred side with ricotta, sprinkle with asiago cheese and sliced vegetables. Cover with a lid to encourage the cheese to melt and the vegetables to steam. As the lip of the crust begins to puff, remove the pizza from the skillet with a spatula. Top with a sprinkle of salt, pepper and tangle of pea shoots, slice and serve.
BIO: Boulder Fjällräven Guide Lentine Alexis is a classically trained chef, former pro athlete and nature lover. She uses her bicycle, raw life and travel experiences along with organic ingredients for inspiration while connecting experiences through food and adventure. Lentine focuses on sharing her joy of cooking by creating recipes, menus, and ideas that fuel nature lovers and all levels of adventurers.