Jim Carson

(The absence has been from too much working and not enough playing. That, and I've had a bit of writer's block.)

Today's pizza was a departure from the usual combinations of artichoke hearts, feta, pepperoni, red peppers and mushrooms that usually adorn my pizzas. Once my dinner guests got past the idea that they were eating an apple pie-za, they liked it.



Apple pizza (adapted from Laurel's Kitchen)

• Pizza dough (If you have a lot of time, use this recipe; otherwise, this one is fine)
• 6 C firm, tart apples, peeled and sliced thinly (Gravensteins work great)
• 1 C apple juice
• 2 T lemon juice (optional, if your apples aren't tart enough)
• 2 T sugar or honey (optional)
• 1 T cornstarch
• 2/3 C chopped walnuts
• 1 C each of grated Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses

1. Make dough. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Cook the sliced apples in 3/4 C of the apple juice until tender.
3. Stir in sugar and lemon juice.
4. Dissolve the cornstarch in 1/4C of cold water. Stir into the apples and juice mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it's thickened.
5. Pre-bake crust for 5 minutes.
6. Cover the crust with the apple mixture. Cover with walnuts. Bake 15 minutes, until the crust turns brown.
7. Spread the cheeses over the top and continue baking another 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted
8. Serve warm