Long Time No Cook...

For a second there, I thought I was going to have to change the name of my blog to "Little Queens Kitchen." We moved last month, and the process was, as always, harrowing. We met with sleazy brokers, saw lots and lots and lots of tiny basement apartments, raised our price limit, expanded our search to other boroughs, and finally ended up in an apartment way out in...Brooklyn. Hurrah. Because partway through the searching we realized that we are just not Queens people. We have roots in Brooklyn, and they run deep.

After the apartment hunting was done, of course, we had to deal with actually moving. And while we hired actual movers this time (Yay! We're adults!) doing that combined with starting school and working was just exhausting. But now here we are, settled in, with my favorite dancing lady lamp finally in a place of honor on the kitchen table. And I am getting back to cooking.

Perhaps my least favorite part of the moving experience is the disruption of routine, specifically in the kitchen. At some point you have to pack your pots and pans, and from that point until everything finds a place in your new home, cooking is pretty much on the back burner. We ate take out, sandwiches, cereal and yogurt, and various other convenience foods for what seemed like forever. Meanwhile, though, we explored our new neighborhood and figured out where to shop, played with the new oven, and finally made a functional kitchen. Ever since, I've been making up for lost time. French onion soup, pizza, roasted veggies...it's good to be back.

Unfortunately, I haven't taken any pictures. So this recipe is from the glory days, over the summer, when I had little to do and lots of time. It's my favorite summer pizza, packed with all the best flavors of the season. And there's salad on top, so it's healthy! You could make it with apples or pears and spinach instead of arugula to make it a fall pizza.


Pizza with Plums, Prosciutto, Gorgonzola, Balsamic and Arugula
adapted from Bon Appetit

1 1-pound package purchased pizza dough (I make my own, usually from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything)
2 cups Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (about 8 ounces)*
3-4 plums, pitted and cut into wedges (the recipe calls for figs, I use plums when I can't get fresh figs)
2 tablespoons fig balsamic vinegar, divided
8 thin slices prosciutto
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
8 cups arugula

Preheat oven to 450*. Role out dough on an upside down cookie sheet to a 12" x 10" rectangle. Sprinkle Gorgonzola over dough. Sprinkle with pepper. Place plums in a medium bowl, drizzle with 1 tablespoon vinegar and set aside.

Bake pizza until crust is golden brown on the bottom, 15-20 minutes. Immediately drape prosciutto slices over, covering entire pizza. Arrange plums on top of prosciutto, and cook until just warmed, 1-2 minutes. Whisk remaining vinegar and olive oil in a large bowl, add arugula. Toss, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mound salad atop pizza, cut into slices and serve.

*I measured the Gorgonzola for the first time the last time I made this, and it was a bit much. I'd recommend 1-1 1/2 cups instead of 2.