I have a dear friend named Leah. She is quite special (talented, beautiful, funny, and creative too.). We became friends, turned into roommates, and even after living together, we still love one another. For this reason, I would say our friendship is completely unique. She and I shared a room, literally, with beds side by side like an all too realistic flash back to dorm living. Even in those conditions, I could not have asked for a better roommate or friend. Leah sang at our wedding, and we all know that it takes a true friend to step up to the wedding plate. She makes me smile and giggle, and some days there is nothing I would not give to be back in that little house, huddled on my little bed, drinking a mug of tea with her.
She pointed out a funny little habit of mine that I apparently still have. One day she came home from work, opened the fridge, and said, "You bought us Corona?" "Yes," I replied, "You had a lime." She quickly put two and two together. "Wait, so all I have to do is throw a lime in the fridge and you will buy beer?" Mind you, this had made perfect sense to me.
This same logic led me from Mint Iced Tea to lamb, feta, and mint pizza. Obviously. I already had the mint.
Even if you do not have a bundle of mint in your fridge, I highly recommend that you find some. Lamb and mint were made for one another. (If you are not a fan of lamb, a spicy ground sausage would still make this one heck of a pizza.) The cool sweetness of the mint, the tangy saltiness of the feta, the earthiness of the lamb, and the smallest zing of lemon made this one perfect summer pizza no matter what your quirky habits are.
Lamb, Feta, and Mint Pizza makes 1, 14 inch pizza
Crust
This is my go-to crust for all pizzas. So quick and simple.
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon honey or sugar
3/4 cup warm water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1. Heat oven to 450. Stir yeast and sweetener into warm water
2. Add salt, flour, and olive oil
3. Work the liquid into the dry ingredients and then knead the dough for 10 minutes. Set dough back in bowl, cover with a towel, and let rest for 10 minutes (during this time you can prep the toppings)
4. Roll dough into a 14 inch circle and par-bake on pizza pan or a pizza stone for 5 minutes. Set aside
Toppings
1 leek
1 bunch of scallions (green onions)
12 oz ground lamb
1 cup of minced fresh mint
8 oz crumbled feta
zest of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1. Cut the white portion of the leek into long strips and soak in a bowl of water for 5 minutes to remove all the sand. Rinse well, mince, and set aside. Rinse the green onions and slice into thin circles, white and green parts. (You should have 2/3 cup green onion pieces)
2. Sauté leek and green onions in a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and toss in a bowl with mint and feta
3. Add lamb to the skillet, and brown the meat for 7-9 minutes. Once cooked through, remove from heat and set aside.
4. Top the par-baked pizza crust with 1 tablespoon drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of salt, and then spread the meat evenly over crust. Spread the mint, leek, feta mixture over meat and evenly sprinkle lemon zest over all.
5. Bake for 15 more minutes or until crust is golden.
