Squash Blossom Pizza

Squash blossom pizza is probably not something that you are likely to see on the menu of your local pizza joint anytime soon, but if you do, please notify me because not only is this dish quite the looker, it has such a delicately fresh taste, once you make it, you'll be hooked.

Squash Blossom

Squash blossoms themselves are the pretty little flowers that form at the ends of squashes as they grow, or they can be grown on their own, without producing an actual squash.  A bright buttery yellow flower that buries itself into a thick green stem, the squash blossom is relatively difficult to find at grocery stores because they have an extraordinarily brief shelf life (a day or two, if your lucky).  I happened to come across mine at a local Farmer's Market and was drawn to the beauty of it.  The way the petals gracefully fold over, almost as if they were stuck in a heavy windstorm, they are food art at its finest.

Goat Cheese Stuffed Squash Blossom

The squash blossom doesn't yield all that strong of a flavor but when stuffed with herbed goat cheese and heated, well, that's when the magic happens.  The squash blossom encapsulates the goat cheese, giving it plenty of room to get warm and soft so that when you bite into it, the cheese oozes out.  While stuffing squash blossoms is a relatively traditional way to serve them, I aimed to make a meal out of them by placing the stuffed squash blossoms on some naan bread and surrounding them with ripe heirloom tomatoes and some fresh mozzarella cheese cut into little cubes.  Once it was out of the oven, I sprinkled some coarse sea salt and fresh basil leaves on top.

Garden Fresh Heirloom Tomatoes

Not only is this pizza really simple to make, it is impressive to place down on the table in front of your dining companion(s).  To me, this dish is something out of the norm and special.  It begs people to stop what their doing and pay attention to food.  And isn't that the way it should be?  We, as humans, have to eat every single day.  Why not make it interesting and throw in a delicious little game changer every once in a while?

Squash Blossom Pizza

Squash Blossom Pizza

Squash Blossom Pizza
- Serves 1
- 1 piece of naan bread (I like Trader Joe's frozen naan bread the best)
- Large handful of various heirloom tomatoes, washed and sliced
- 3 squash blossoms, rinsed and stems and insides removed
- 3 small hunks of goat cheese (I use chive goat cheese and it was great)
- Fresh mozzarella cheese (as much or as little as you'd like)
- Fresh basil leaves
- Coarse sea salt flakes and black pepper

Start by heating the naan bread at about a 350-400 degree oven until it just starts to crisp.  Remove from the oven and set aside.  Taking the squash blossom into your hands and holding at the base, gently pry open the flower and stuff a small bit of the goat cheese into the center.  Fold the petals around the cheese.  Repeat this for all three blossoms.

Arrange the tomatoes, squash blossoms and cheese on top of the pizza.  Bake until the cheese starts to bubble and brown.  Remove from the oven and top with salt, pepper and basil leaves.  Serve immediately.