Thyme and Caramelized Onion Pizza

Thyme and Caramelized Onion Pizza1 batch pizza dough (I love this recipe from la cucina italiana.  you make the dough the night before which gives it a wonderful flavor.)

1 Tbs Olive Oil
2 medium Vandalia onions, sliced
3 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp fresh garlic, minced
tomato sauce (optional)
1 large ball fresh mozzarella, sliced

If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven.  Preheat your oven to 425.

Stretch the pizza dough to form a roundish pizza on a piece of parchment paper.  Allow it to rest while you prepare the toppings.

Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and stir until it begins to turn golden (about 1 minute).  Add the onions, and stir regularly until they begin to caramelize and turn golden brown, about 30 minutes.  Turn off the heat and stir in thyme, salt and pepper.  Taste and adjust seasonings.

To assemble the pizza, pour the tomato sauce onto the pizza dough.  If you prefer a white pizza, brush the dough with olive oil.  Arrange the mozzarella in slices over the sauce followed by the onions.  Slide the pizza onto the hot stone in your preheated oven.  Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and the crust is brown.

Recipe Notes: If you want to skip a step, buy pre-made dough.  I haven't tried it, but I have heard that Whole Foods makes really good frozen pizza dough.  This pizza would also be delicious with goat cheese instead of the mozzarella cheese.  If you use goat cheese, however, don't use tomato sauce!

Peaches in Cinnamon Syrup

peeled peaches5 lbs peaches, peeled and sliced into wedges
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp allspice
2 tsp cinnamon

Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Prepare a second pot of ice water.  Score the bottom of the peaches and add, in batches, to the boiling water.  Boil the peaches for 30 seconds and immediately place in the pot of ice water.  When cool, peel (the skin should easily come off).  Slice the peeled peaches.

Combine the peaches with the remaining ingredients in another pot.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes.  The peaches should be soft, but not mushy.  Allow the peaches to cool completely in the syrup.

Recipe variations:

Peaches in Vanilla Syrup: replace the brown sugar with white sugar.  Instead of the spices, add 1 vanilla bean before you cook the peaches.  After the peaches have completely cooled, take a sharp knife and scrape the inside of the vanilla bean.

Peaches in Maple Syrup: Replace the brown sugar with maple sugar.  Proceed as directed.

Recipe notes:  These peaches are delicious alone, over ice cream, or with yogurt and granola.  They freeze beautifully (which is always good in the middle of the winter when you crave a little bit of summer).  Also, these peaches are not overly sweet--if you prefer sweeter cooked peaches, add additional sugar.

Pasta with Wild Mushroom Sauce

pasta with wild mushroom sauce1 lb ground beef
2 medium Vandalia (or other sweet onion), chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups red wine
1/2 cup dried mushrooms, broken into small pieces
2 large cans (28 oz) whole peeled plum tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 bay leaves
2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
2 tsp fresh basil, chopped

1 lb spaghetti or linguini

Heat a Dutch over or a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add the ground beef and stir regularly until the beef loses its raw appearance.  Add the onion and garlic.  Cook for about 12 minutes, until the onion is translucent and tastes sweet.  Add the salt and pepper.  Carefully add the wine to the pot and stir to deglaze the bottom of the pot.  Cook for about 4 more minutes so that the wine begins to reduce.  Add the tomatoes, oregano, mushrooms, and bay leaves.  Bring the sauce to a simmer and then reduce the heat to maintain a consistant, gentle simmer.  Cook the sauce for 1 hour until it is thick and flavorful.  Taste and adjust seasonings.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add plenty of kosher salt and the pasta.  Cook until the pasta is al dente.  Toss the pasta in the sauce and sprinkle with plenty of freshly grated parmesan and the basil.

Recipe notes:  I used a mixture of crimini and porcini mushrooms, but really any combination will do.  You could also use fresh mushrooms, although I would still add the dried mushrooms to give the sauce a depth of flavor.  If you use fresh mushrooms, chop the mushrooms and add the mushrooms after you cook the onion and the garlic.  The mushrooms will release a lot of water, so make sure the onions and the garlic are cooked before you add the fresh mushrooms.  You can also make this sauce ahead of time and then reheat it when you are ready to eat.  If you have leftovers, it freezes beautifully.