Salad Pizza

As far as I know, salad pizza was invented by New Jersey. My friend Gina, another of Jersey's sparkling creations, confirmed this history one hot night in Chicago. So it must be true.

Before I moved to Chicago, I lived in Brooklyn and commuted 80 miles a day to my job in New Jersey. It was my first job out of college and I was lucky to have it. But that commute! That commute that led to me being rear-ended on the Staten Island Expressway! That led me to seek physical therapy! Which, oh irony!, was precisely the business that my company was engaged in.

But no matter the commute, because in Morganville, NJ, I had access to salad pizza. Which I (big-L!) Loved. When I first heard of it, I imagined some wilted, creamy-dressed, iceberg sogg-fest. But what I got instead was a beautiful crispy-crusted pie, piled high with tender greens, and dressed with a sweet [heavy-on-the-]balsamic vinaigrette (or, actually, it might have been a reduction -- I can't remember now).

For this crust, I used the same recipe as for the grilled pizza of lovely mid-Summer. But prior to baking, I brushed the dough with olive oil and threw some minced garlic on top of that.

1 1/8 cups warm water
1 packet active dry yeast
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil (plus more)
2 cloves garlic, minced

With your pizza stone inside, preheat your oven to its hottest setting.

Mix the yeast and water. Set aside. Put the flour, sugar, and salt into a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. With the processor running, add the olive oil, then the water-yeast solution (once the yeast is dissolved). Continue with the machine running until a ball begins to form. Remove the dough and form it into a ball, then dump it into a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, non-drafty place for an hour or so.

Roll out the dough, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic, then bake on a preheated pizza stone for about 10 minutes. Makes two crusts.

Here, I made a vinaigrette, but you could also try a balsamic reduction for a thicker dressing. Maybe I'll try that next time.

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon real maple syrup

Whisk ingredients and toss with fresh salad greens. Pile the salad on top of the baked crust, top with tomatoes and grated parmesan.