A Rather Unusual Pizza

When I saw this challenge for savory strawberry dishes, my mind went to work. Of course, the usual culprit is a strawberry salad with balsamic vinaigrette. I jumped from that idea and transformed it to a pizza with kale 'pesto', balsamic caramelized onions, strawberries, smoky bacon, and goat cheese.

To make the pesto, tear 3 stems of kale into bite-sized pieces. Put in a food processor with about 4 tbsp olive oil, two garlic cloves, salt, and pepper and blend until smooth-ish. Add additional olive oil if necessary.

Slice the onions and sautee them in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil until tender and golden. Add a splash of balsamic and toss until the liquid is gone.

Spread the pesto on the pizza dough, then add the onions. Chop 1 slice of bacon into a 1/4” dice. Be sure to use a good quality, thick cut bacon that has lots of meat and flavor. Bacon that is excessively fatty will lead to a greasy pizza. Add the bacon, then the thinly sliced strawberries, then top with goat cheese crumbles (about 3 oz.) Put in a 475 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, until the crust is golden and the cheese is lightly browned.

This pizza was pretty tasty: the strawberries aren't unlike topping it with very sweet tomatoes. I can't say it was my all-time favorite topping, nor would I use prized farmers' market strawberries for this purpose, but if you're feeling experimental, give it a try!  As for savory strawberries, I may explore some more.  When the weather warms up a bit I think I'll give it another go with strawberry jalapeno salsa.

Enjoy!