Recipes for Wolfgang Puck® All-Natural margherita pizza

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Ingredients

• Mustard Vinaigrette:
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon
  • 1 tablespoon sherry wine vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground white pepper
  • 1 cup almond or extra virgin olive oil (or a mixture of both)
• Salad:
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 cup diced fresh artichoke hearts
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground white pepper
  • 1/2 cup diced carrots
  • 1/2 cup diced green beans
  • 1/2 cup diced red onion
  • 1/2 cup diced radicchio
  • 1/2 cup fresh corn kernels
  • 1/2 cup diced celery
  • 1/2 cup diced ripe avocado
  • 1/4 cup peeled, seeded, and chopped tomato
  • 4 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup mixed greens of your choice (curly endive, chicory, baby lettuce), cut or torn into bite-size pieces

Method

1. Prepare the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, combine the mustard and vinegar. Slowly whisk in the oils. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside. Whisk again when ready to serve.
2. Prepare the salad: In a small skillet, heat the olive oil. Season the diced artichokes lightly with salt and pepper and sauté until al dente, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool.
3. Blanch the carrots and beans by placing in a wire sieve. Set the sieve into a large pot of boiling salted water and cook until al dente, 2 to 3 minutes. Plunge into cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain, cool, and add to the artichokes. Add the onion, radicchio, corn, and celery.
4. When ready to serve, dice the avocado and the tomato and add to the other vegetables with the vinaigrette, sprinkle with the grated cheese, and toss again. Correct seasoning to taste.
5. Toss the greens with the reserved vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Presentation

Divide the salad greens among 4 salad plates. Mound the chopped salad on the greens and serve immediately.

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Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 medium leeks, dark green parts trimmed and discarded, light green and white parts thoroughly washed and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 8 cups chicken stock
• Salt
• 1 teaspoon whole black and white peppercorns
• 4 small sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 small sprigs fresh parsley
• 12 green beans, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 medium yellow summer squash, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 ripe tomato, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• Pistou:
  • 6 medium garlic cloves, peeled
  • 6 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
  • 4 to 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 30 fresh basil leaves, washed and dried
• Goat Cheese Croutons:
  • 6 to 8 slices French bread, about 1/4-inch thick
  • Olive oil
  • 6 to 8 ounces fresh creamy goat cheese

Method

1. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and sauté just until they start to turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté about 1 minute more. Add the carrots and celery and continue to sauté until the vegetables deepen in color but have not yet begun to brown, 3 to 4 minutes more. Pour the stock into the pan, bring it to a boil, and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Sprinkle in a generous pinch of salt.
2. Tie the peppercorns, thyme, and parsley in a square of cheesecloth, securing it with kitchen string. Add this bouquet garni to the pan. Stir in the beans, zucchini, summer squash, and tomato. Continue simmering until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, make the Pistou: Put the garlic and tomatoes in a blender or food processor with about 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Begin processing. With the machine running, add the basil leaves, and then pour in enough extra-virgin olive oil to make a smooth, thick, but fluid paste. Transfer about 2/3 of the paste into a serving bowl to pass alongside the soup.
4. Make the Goat Cheese Croutons: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
5. Brush the bread slices with olive oil and arrange them on a baking sheet. Bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven and turn on the broiler. Spread 1 side of each crouton with goat cheese and put it back on the baking sheet. Broil until the cheese is warm and slightly bubbly, about 3 minutes. Set aside.
6. When the soup is ready, stir the remaining pistou into the saucepan, ladling some of the hot broth into the blender or processor bowl to swirl and rinse any pesto clinging inside into the pan. Remove and discard the bouquet garni. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with a little more salt.
7. Ladle the soup into individual heated serving bowls. Float a crouton in the center of each bowl. With a spoon, drizzle a little more pistou over the crouton and soup in each bowl. Serve immediately with the side dish of Pistou for additional seasoning.

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For a refreshing take on a classic Italian favorite, try my Margherita pizza with a Lager or Italian beer.

If wine is your complement instead of beer, try a California red Zinfandel or Cabernet Franc.

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Try adding any one of the following ingredients alone or in combination. Additional cooking time may be required.

Before Baking

• 2 teaspoons of roasted pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons roasted red bell peppers
• 2 tablespoons diced sun-dried tomatoes

After Baking

• A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons steamed asparagus tips
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced and julienne prosciutto
• 1/4 cup fresh basil
• A sprinkle of red pepper flakes