Monday, March 02, 2009

DAFFODIL (MARCH FLOWER of the MONTH) ~ ROASTED PEPPER, GARLIC & GOAT CHEESE PIZZA / MIXED GREEN SALAD with LEMON VINAIGRETTE

"Daffodils that come before the swallow dares,
and takes the winds of March with beauty."
~ William Shakespeare


ROASTED PEPPER, GARLIC & GOAT CHEESE PIZZA
~ Simple supper made with convenience foods, perfect for Lent
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1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 thinly sliced red onion
6 cloves minced garlic
1 12 oz. jar drained roasted yellow & red peppers
1/4 tsp. dried crushed red pepper
freshly ground black pepper
1 16-oz. Boboli (baked cheese pizza crust)
6 oz. crumbled soft goat cheese (like Montrachet)
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme (1 tsp. crumbled dried)
  • Preheat oven to 450-degrees.
  • Heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onion and garlic and saute until very soft, about 20 minutes. Add roasted peppers, pepper flakes and ground pepper to taste. Tip pan and use a bit of oil to brush over boboli crust.
  • Place Boboli on pizza pan or cookie sheet. Top with onion and pepper mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and thyme. Bake until cheese melts, about 12 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve. (2-4 servings)
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MIXED GREEN SALAD WITH LEMON VINAIGRETTE
2 heads Boston or butter lettuce torn into bite-sized pieces
1 head radicchio torn into bite-sized pieces
1 bunch arugula
(or substitute all above with baby spring mix - 1 large handful for each serving)
1 bunch trimmed watercress
1 thinly sliced English cucumber
2 stalks thinly sliced celery
2 finely chopped shallots
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. white wine or white balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
coarse salt & freshly ground pepper
  • Whisk shallots, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, vinegar and zest together. Gradually whisk in oil. Season with salt & pepper.
  • Combine greens, cucumber and celery in large salad bowl. Dress with vinaigrette and toss well. (10 servings)

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

Beautiful, Joey -- both the montage and the recipe! March is my birthday month, and I've always loved that daffodils were the flower of the month, so to speak. :)

F Cameron said...

Love the daffodils and quote. The recipe (as always) sounds so good. I would have to switch out that goat cheese for feta. Long story -- I once milked goats for friends whenever they went on vacation. I had to do all the sterilizing and such in my house. My kitchen and my skin seemed to smell of goat for months! :-)

Cameron

Unknown said...

my mouth is watering!

joey said...

Thanks Nancy ~ hope March is as wonderful as you are. Happy Birthday!

Feta is good, Cameron, but don't know about the goat smell ... though I'm impressed! I grew up in a tiny resort village surrounded by huge farm land but, a wimp, never milked a goat or cow.

Thank you, flowrgirl1 ... so sorry about your storm damage :(

Gail said...

Joey, hello! The photo/montage is a delight in yellows and golds, today and old Will always has the right thing to say! I think the pizza sounds delicious!
gail

Dave said...

Hi Joey! Yes, I know I've been out of touch ... again! :-( The pizza recipe sounds delightful though, and I might just have to make it. I'm hoping to start making the rounds again. I've also moved my blog: http://www.micuisine.com/lunapiercook/ Hope all is going well ...

joey said...

Indeed Will's words live on, Gail :) Will any of ours breath through a lifetime like his? Big thanks, dear friend.

Hey Dave! Changed the link. Hope all is well. (Hugs)

Shady Gardener said...

Hi Joey, And shall I call your daffodils "Lemon Icee?" ;-) ha. Your flower collage is beautiful and your recipes are being printed as we speak! ;-) Have a great day!

Shady Gardener said...

Whoa! Where did my post go?? I just wrote, "Hi Joey! Your photo collage is beautiful! Shall I call your daffodils "Lemon Icee?" ha! Your recipes look delicious and they're printing as we speak! :-) Have a good night.

joey said...

Thanks Shady and enjoy ...'Lemon Icee' is perfect. Now I can sleep in peace :)

Anonymous said...

Miss Joey I saw a cake decorated once with Daffodil flowers on top. It was stunning. Now I like the Daffodil you are showing with the yellow and white. I was looking at different varieties the other day at the Daffodil society. Some of them can be quite expensive.

Unknown said...

Too early in the morning for me to think about pizza or salad, Joey, but those daffodils are utterly gorgeous! You keep inspiring me but I keep NOT finding time to try doing something like that.

Marie-Monique said...

j'ai parcouru attentivement votre blog...
je suis séduite par votre superbe présentation !!! et vos très belles photos. Pour moi , il manque juste un traducteur...
pour en apprécier toutes les finesses,à très bientôt

Anonymous said...

Hi Joey, what a beautiful daff, I love that coloration and frilly trumpet. Your pizza recipe is mouth watering. Roasted peppers and goat cheese are a match made in heaven!
Frances

Rose said...

This pizza sounds delicious! I chuckled at Cameron's comment, but I do like goat cheese. Pizza is a favorite here, and I'm always looking for different combinations to try. I wonder how artichokes would taste on this.

I can't wait to see the first daffodils--the quote on your Muse day post by Cruso describes March so well. I'm anxious for spring, but I know it may still be a month away.

My Mother's Garden said...

Hello~

The daffodil photos are delightful!
And the salad sounds simply refreshing.
Thanks for signing up to follow my blog, it always make one feel good to know someone out there finds their blog interesting.

Happy day to you~

Karrita

Roses and Lilacs said...

Hi Joey, that pizza sounds good.

Shakespeare lived in a kinder, gentler place than we do. No daffodils here in March;)
Marnie

Kerri said...

Love the frilly trumpet and white petals of that daff. I doubt we'll see any daff blooms here until April. Frigid wind here today. Brrr!
The pizza sounds mouth-watering. Hope you're staying warm dear Joey.

Mr. McGregor's Daughter said...

I vaguely recall seeing a Daffodil just like that. I think it was last spring in my garden...

marmee said...

love the sound of the salad. yummy!
daffy's are just so right in time when we are desperate to see something blooming and springlike.

Bren Haas said...

WOnderful Recipe...... I can't wait till spring. Thank you for adding some color to my day.

Happy Bloom Tuesday.

kate smudges said...

Your photo montage is beautiful, Joey! I love this colour of daffodil. This pizza recipe sounds delicious and easy to make ~ I'm going to try the banana bread french toast. Yum ~ hope you have a wonderful spring!

joey said...

Miss Anna ~ If interested I have a DAFFODIL CAKE & UPSIDE DOWN DAFFODIL CAKE posted @ http://joeyrandall.blogspot.com/2007/03/spring-is-here-daffodil-cake.html. Perhaps my favorite daffodil, this might be 'Fragrant Breeze Daffodil' but not sure since I keep tags then can't seem to find them).

Hi jodi ~ I'm not one for pizza or salad in the AM either but since both are easy, perhaps one day might be fun to tackle :) Boboli are foolproof ... great with any favorite topping.

Marie-Monique ~ thank you for commenting, a wonderful reminder it's been too long since I visited your stunning site. Happy March!

Thank you Frances ~ I agree, the daff's a beauty, very photgenic; the pizza combo, also a favorite. We eat our fill of roasted red peppers and feta!

Hi Rose ~ loved Cameron's comment also :) You can't go wrong with artichokes or substitute them for the peppers. Boboli are a quick favorite and always have them on hand ... you can't go wrong topping them with any favorite.

Thank you, Karrita, and enjoy. It's delightful visiting your lovely site also.

Hi Marnie ~ I'm happy to simply see the frozen earth after the mounds of snow melted! A most interesting winter, yes!

Indeed it will be April before I see any either, Kerri! Still frigid here also but sunny. Hang in there with me ... it won't be long!

It's my favorite, MMD! Remembering my feelings, I hope the beauty returns to delight me again :)

Though not blooming in my garden, YET, it won't be long now, Marmee!

Thanks Bren ~ Spring looks a bit more hopeful. Though still frigid, it's sunny and I love that the days are getting longer!

Hi Kate ~ Thanks and enjoy the recipies. This is my favorite daffodil (Fragrant Breeze, I think). Happy March!

Marysol said...

I can't decide which I like best. Your glorious daffodils or your Mediterranean pizza. Thankfully, I don't have to choose just one.

Big hugs, oh, creative one.

joey said...

Hi sweet Marysol ~ won't be long now before we see these beauties popping out of the ground. It's been a long winter, hasn't it, dear friend!

Kylee Baumle said...

Please tell me you do not have daffodils blooming already! I am so hungry for spring, it isn't funny. I love that bright yellow!

joey said...

Hardly Kylee! But at least the snow is almost gone and like you, hungry for spring, I can see brown earth and hints of green.

Catherine said...

Lovely post Joey!
Beautiful daffodils~mine have started bloomin after all the snow melted, the sun popped out & last week we had two lovely 70 degree days..then temps dropped back in the low 30s' a dusting of snow, & now rainy & in the 40's but daffodils are smilin in my wet soggy garden~making me even hungrier for spring! Speaking of being hungry~your pizza sounds so yummy as does the lemon vinaigrette! That is one of my favorite Shakespeare quotes~wish I had thought to use it on my latest post!:)
Big Hugs Bloggin Sis!!
Cat

joey said...

Hugs dear Cat! I see we both posted the same stunning daffs and not surprised since we both we're bloggin' sisters :) Though a bit behind you in weather, I smell spring!