Pizza Today - June 2018 - 36

OLIVES CAN BE SERVED in many ways.

Some are easy to make while others
take time and a passion for the olive
to shine. Here are some combinations:
 Marinate ripe olives using two cups
of California ripe black olives with two
tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, juice of
half a lemon, five leaves sage and a
¼ tablespoon each of chopped rosemary,
cracked fennel, oregano and red pepper
flakes. Keep under refrigeration for
24 hours. Variation: add pickled carrot
and fennel to the bowl for a very nice
crudité for guests.
 Deep fried, stuffed olives in the
style of Ascoli Piceno, (Olive Farcite all'
Ascolana). These special olives were a
favorite of Nero. If you cannot get the
Ascoli olives, they are the same size as
Cerignola or Castelvetrano. Just peel
around the pit leaving a flesh wrapper
with one slit. Fill with cooked ground
beef, pork, bacon (or prosciutto di Parma),
chicken livers, egg, cinnamon, nutmeg,
Parmigiano, tomato paste and soaked
breadcrumbs. (Variations abound with
Marsala, truffle oil, lemon zest and
truffle oil.) Roll in flour, beaten eggs and
breadcrumbs and deep fry. Serve hot.
 Vegan Greek salad is so easy with
pitted and halved Kalamata's paired
with cubes of vegan feta and cubes of
extra firm tofu. Just add sliced cucumber,
tomato, red onion, red wine vinegar, extra
virgin olive oil and a spritz of lemon on
a bed of romaine and fresh spinach and
topped with chopped almond.
 Cerignola citrus salad is another
nice combination of oranges and
mandarin oranges that are skinned and
cut across the lobes to produce nice slim
rounds. Add to this cracked and pitted
Cerignola olives, Chopped Calabrian
chilies, chopped basil and parsley, toasted
pine nuts. Drizzle with extra virgin olive
oil and a dash of red wine vinegar. ■
JOHN GUTEKANST owns Avalanche Pizza
in Athens, Ohio, and is an award-winning
pizzaiolo, baker, teacher, speaker and author.

3 6 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / J U N E 2 0 1 8

Olive Lime Chicken
Pizza with AvocadoOlive Salsa
This pizza is a favorite for catered
events. If cut tavern style (squares),
each square can be topped with
the delicious salsa. This bold,
flavored pie is a cross between
historical Greek flavor profiles and
southwestern cumin chicken, all
brought together by green and
black olives.
Salsa ingredients:
2 avocados
3 tablespoons de-seeded and fine
chopped Castelvetrano olives
1 tablespoon finely chopped red
onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped
green pepper
½ tablespoon finely chopped
makeline jalapeño
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
1 half lime
De-seed and skin the avocado. Cut
into 1⁄8 to 1⁄16 sized chunks and place in
a bowl.
Add the finely chopped onions,
green pepper, jalapeño and olives to
the avocado followed by the juice of
the half lime, salt and olive oil.
Mix gently with a spatula and place
in refrigerator for topping.
Pizza Ingredients:
1 large, 19-ounce dough ball
made into a 14-inch round
pizza shell
2 cups fresh spinach (packed)
1/3 cup chopped, cooked
makeline chicken
3 tablespoons chopped black,
ripe makeline olives
2 teaspoons powdered cumin
1 half lime
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup proprietary cheese blend
½ cup feta cheese.

In a bowl, combine the chicken,
cumin, olives, olive oil and juice of one
lime. Toss and refrigerate.
Place the fresh spinach directly on
the pizza dough followed by the feta
cheese.
Add the chicken mix atop the feta,
then add your proprietary mozzarella
blend. (This may seem like too little
cheese for some, but remember: you
will add the salsa on the pizza after the
bake.)
Bake at 475-500 F until the crust
is golden and the pizza has cooked
through.
Top the pizza with the salsa for
a bright green finish. This can be
dolloped on each slice or slathered
atop the whole pie.

Green Goodness
This flavorful cheese can be made
from your makeline ingredients
and placed on pizzas either before
or after the oven bake. Because
of the combination of cream,
garlic, spice and salty olives, it
is well suited for dipping or just
adding flavor to ordinary pizzas
or breadsticks. If you add cream
and a little vinegar, it makes
a great salad dressing. Also, if
you're looking for a flashy finish,
place a mound of chilled Green
Goodness on a pizza and top with
crushed pistachio nuts.
Ingredients:
2 cups whole milk ricotta
1 ½ cup chopped green olives
1 cup fresh spinach (packed)
½ cup roasted garlic cloves
½ cup makeline jalapeños
1 tablespoon chopped fresh
rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste
Place all ingredients in a blender
or a mixing bowl and mix until all
ingredients are integrated. Taste and
adjust flavors and hydration as needed.
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