Canada Post

I was sounding off about the postal strike last week. It now appears, not surprisingly, Canada Post is talking about laying off staff and cutting down delivery days to 3 a week. I see the reasoning behind this, but surely it will make people even less inclined to use the mail. The volume of mail has been very much reduced due to internet and texting. I know these days I tend to send a lot of cards by internet, as you will see above, I like Jacquie Lawson cards, unless they are to someone who doesn’t have internet access and there are getting to be less and less of such people. Of course I am married to a man who does not use the internet, will not in fact and I do know others who have had the opportunity but still don’t pursue computer use. One woman I know has had computers (we even built her one) but no longer, she never used it. However, she has taken computer courses. Seems a tad pointless to me. I personally couldn’t live without my computers now but if I predecease Matt, they will be chucked out.

Well, today I am off to Niagara-on-the-Lake as I have mentioned before. We will be having lunch there and then visiting a couple of wineries ending up at Flat Rock where we will try their meals which are served from a cart and paired with appropriate wines. Looking forward to it, but especially looking forward to meeting my South African friend face to face. Will tell you all about it on Saturday.

This is another recipe I received in my inbox and I thought it sounded delicious. We are both fond of goat cheese for a start and it sounds like figs would really go well with it.

Rustic Fig and Goat Cheese Pizza

By The Sprouted Kitchen
WebMD Recipe from Foodily.com

I’m not sure why I’ve been so intimidated to make my own pizza dough. It has a quick list of about 4 standby ingredients and reaped a priceless amount of self accomplishment. I watched the dough ball slowly expand and immediately texted Hugh to mark my success. I used a combination of unbleached flour and whole wheat, resulting in a hearty, yet pliable dough.

The attractive thing about pizza to any cook, is that it is a blank canvas for flavors. You can use whatever cheese you have, maybe some leftover shredded chicken, marinara sauce, or pesto. I wanted to wish my beloved figs a fond farewell this season, so a savory flatbread was just the place for final enjoyment. At some point this holiday weekend, I’m sure you’ll be eating outside, and likely with other people. I’ve YET to meet someone who does not like pizza … unless you’re some low-carbohydrate, gluten-free, fat-free diner, in which case my husband will gladly consume your portion.

Ingredients

2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 to 1 1/4 Cup Water
1 tsp./ Half Packet Quick Rise Yeast
2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tsp. Sea Salt
3 tbsp. Fresh Chopped Chives
12 Fresh Figs, Sliced
½ Cup Soft Goat Cheese
½ Cup Fresh Shaved Parmesan Reggiano
¼ Cup Red Onion, VERY thinly sliced
¼ Cup Fresh Chives
2 Cups Organic Mache (Lambs Lettuce)
2 tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper

Instructions

Dough

2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 to 1 1/4 Cup Water
1 tsp./ Half Packet Quick Rise Yeast
2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tsp. Sea Salt
3 tbsp. Fresh Chopped Chives

Turn your grill to medium high heat.

Activate the yeast using about a 1/2 cup warm water and the pinch of sugar. Add together and let sit until bubbles form.

Combine the yeast, flour, and 2 teaspoons salt in a bowl. Begin mixing and add the remaining 1/2 cup water and olive oil. Continue mixing until the mixture forms a ball and is slightly sticky. If it is too dry, add water a very little at a time until it acquires the desired consistency.

Turn the dough onto a work surface floured with the semolina and knead a few seconds. Grease a bowl with the remaining olive oil, and place the dough in it. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and allow it to rise in a warm place until the dough doubles in size, about 1 to 2 hours.

Turn the dough out onto your floured surface and (literally) punch it several times. Divide it into desired portions and roll into pizzas. Brush the dough with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper before adding the toppings, and spread oil on the surface of the sheet pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until crust browns.

Please note I used 2 cups unbleached flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour, which provided both a chewy and crispy texture when pulled thin enough. I also added fresh chives for a bit of color and zing. This needs to be done 2 hours in advance.

Once you’ve made your dough, divide it and pull it out to desired size. With your hands, rub a little bit of oil on one side, and put the oiled side down on the grill. Close the lid and grill for about 3 minutes.

Flip the dough over and push the dough down with a spatula to create a thinner flatbread (if you desire… I desired). Evenly distribute the sliced figs, goat cheese, parmesan, chives, and sliced red onion across the dough. Give it all a generous grind of pepper and sprinkle of salt. Close the lid and grill for another 6 to 8 minutes until all toppings are melted and there are grill marks on the bottom of the dough.

In the meantime, toss the mache lettuce with the balsamic vinegar, olive oil and sprinkle of salt and pepper.

Remove the flatbreads and top with a hefty handful of the dressed mache. Chomp away while it’s hot!

Total Servings: 8

Have a great day