Another Peach Post...

Photos by Donna Campbell

The last blog post on peaches drew quite a response. Thanks to all of you who shared your own memories of the summer anticipation of peach pie, peach ice cream, peaches eaten over the sink, and the old and new varieties of cling and freestone favored by your families. I realize now that I should have included a chapter on peaches in my book, The Month of Their Ripening. I will now do penance by offering the recipe for a completely original Peach Pizza, created a few weeks ago at a Campbell family gathering in the Blue Ridge.

If you know Donna Campbell’s family, you would suspect that there were enough categories in this pizza competition to ensure that each team would be honored for their recipe. Our ballots included Most Creative, Most Traditional, Most Delicious, and Most Appealing.

No, this is not the Peach Pizza, but the Pepperoni Sunset—basic tomato sauce and slices of pepperoni—winner of Most Traditional.

Among our contestants were two veterans of summer Pizza Hut jobs as teenagers, but we did not let that discourage us. All teams began on an equal footing with a ball of frozen dough. One player, a practicing attorney, helped his competitors by performing his seasoned pizza toss, which was singularly impressive.

The Peach Pizza in progress....

It didn’t exactly look pretty at first, but the Peach Pizza team generously layered their toppings in this order:   

1. Brush the dough with blood orange olive oil. (The brand we had on hand was Art of Oil.)  Sprinkle fresh pressed garlic over the dough’s surface to suit your taste.

2. Spread most of a whole ball of fresh burrata cheese over the pizza, leaving a crust edge. (See thickness in photo.)

3. Cut fresh basil leaves into strips and push them into the soft burrata. (The moisture from the burrata will help keep the basil from getting too crisp.)

4. Lay sliced peaches in a pinwheel over the top. (We used Red Haven peaches from Candor, NC.)

5. Nestle little rags of prosciutto between each peach slice.

6. Sprinkle grated mozzarella over all—not too heavy.

7. Drizzle peaches lightly with a high-quality balsamic vinegar. (Sister Linda supplied a traditional, 18-year, barrel-aged balsamic condimento from Abingdon Oil Company.

8. Bake at 425 degrees until bubbly and the edges are brownish.

The extraordinary Peach Pizza (left) and the winning S’more Pizza dessert!

Dinner was served and the eating commenced. Ballots were collected. Judge Donna Campbell’s intention to present equal awards to all pizzas was foiled. The Peach Pizza swept the Most Delicious category and tied for Most Creative. Most Traditional went to the Pepperoni Sunset. The S’more Dessert Pie was hands down the Most Appealing. The POP Pizza—peppers, olives, and prosciutto—had no left overs either. The contest was a winner for family summer activities.

Pizza dough on parchment

One tip: If I were to repeat this recipe, I would likely use a thinner, ready-made dough. My favorite for a quick dinner is the Jus Rol brand, available in the dairy section of several stores.  It speeds up the party considerably since it’s already perfectly round, thin, and rolled up on a sheet of parchment. You unroll it and place on a sheet pan, parchment side down, and then add your toppings. Enjoy!