White pizza with our oyster mushrooms

Those of you who follow this blog know I’ve been growing a Back to the Roots oyster mushroom kit at home with my twin teenage sons. Just a couple of days after my last post, the mushrooms were ready to harvest and cook. The guys had requested pizza, and it seemed like a white pizza would show off the mushrooms’ delicate flavor. (White pizza, of course, is…white. No red sauce.) Here’s how easy it was to make.

We just cut off the mushrooms with a knife. They were getting a bit wizened—we probably should have used them a couple of days sooner.We sliced the mushrooms, then tossed them with a little olive oil, slivered onion, salt, and pepper. Then we rolled out 1 lb. pizza dough into a circle and put it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. We dropped dollops of ricotta cheese on the dough, and scattered the mushroom mixture on top.

This time I bought the ricotta, but you can make your own. Here’s a video that shows you how.

Then the pizza went in a 450° oven until it got nice and golden on the underside, 12 to 14 minutes. (It also looked more golden on top than in this photo.) We scattered a little fresh thyme leaves over it and added an extra drizzle of olive oil.

How was it? My vote: delish. The oyster mushrooms were crisp and mildly earthy. And I’m positive that this is the first time my kids have been excited about eating any kind of mushroom. Just goes to show you that if they grow it…

Jasper’s vote: thumbs up 

Rowan’s vote: Well…nice face, eh? Really, he ate several pieces.