Meyer Lemon Pizza with Fresh Rosemary & Lemon Thyme

Meyer Lemon Inspirations ~ Recipe #5 (2010)

Meyer Lemon season in California, Florida, and Hawaii runs from December into April, maybe stretching into May. These flavorful, fragrant, tender-skinned lemons are our favorites by far of all lemon varieties! So, we’re always keeping an eye out for recipes that feature Meyer Lemons…or recipes that we feel will be “much improved” using Meyer lemons.

Spring of 2010, I got on a Meyer Lemon kick inspired by Lemon Love Fest at WineImbiber.com. The thought occurred to me that Meyer Lemons might be mild enough to slice as a pizza topping….so off I went on an internet hunt for lemon pizza recipes. Gosh! was I surprised to discover my “unique” idea had been thought of by many other imaginative chefs. But still I was delighted to find their recipes.

Now, ten months later in Meyer Lemon season 2011, I can’t find the recipe the following pizza was based on. Hmmmm? Can’t remember if it’s my own creation either. Oh, dear. (Note to self: Post articles closer to the time the recipe is cooked, rather than ten months later.)

Meyer Lemon Pizza with Fresh Rosemary & Thyme

INGREDIENTS for a savory, easy-to-make ‘no tomatoes or tomato sauce’ pizza:
~ 1 pizza dough (1-1/3 to 1-1/2 lb/680 to 750 g), at room temperature
C’s COMMENT: I used a Vicolo brand cornmeal pizza dough crust, which doesn’t require any extra prep.
~ Thinly shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese slices (enough to cover the bottom of your pizza crust)
~ Danish Fontina, grated coarsely (enough to cover the pizza lightly)
~ 2 tbsp  (30 mL) organic extra-virgin olive oil
~ 1-2 organic Meyer Lemons, cut in thin slices (pick out seeds, discard)
~ 1 large organic Onion, sliced thinly into rings
~ 1/4 tsp  (1 mL)  Sea Salt, or more to taste
~ Freshly ground Black Pepper
~ Sprigs of fresh organic Rosemary & Lemon Thyme
~ 1 tbsp  (15 mL) organic Cornmeal

PIZZA INSTRUCTIONS:
~ Use a pre-made pizza crust of your choice.
~ Sprinkle cornmeal evenly over pan; lay dough in pan.
~ Brush surface of pizza dough lightly with olive oil.
~ Arrange Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese slices over crust, so edges overlap covering the crust completely.
~ Sprinkle the grated Fontina cheese over the Parmigiano-Reggiano slices.
~ Place the lemon slices over the cheese to cover the surface, but don’t overlap them.
~ Separate the onion rings. Place them over the lemon slices as thickly as you prefer.

~ Pull or rub Lemon Thyme leaves from the stems. Sprinkle over the pizza.
~ Grate fresh Black Pepper over the toppings.
~ Pull or cut Rosemary leaves from the stem. Use them whole or chop the leaves into smaller bits. Then scatter over the pizza.
TIP: Use a light hand with Rosemary. A little is a lovely savory accent. Too much is overwhelming!

~ Bake in a 425F (220C) oven until bottom of crust is golden, 16 to 20 minutes in convection oven or 20 to 25 minutes in conventional oven.
Serving(s): 8 slices

We served the pizza with a simple side of lightly steamed organic broccoli. This tomato-less pizza would also be complemented by a fresh salad spring greens or other early season vegetable: asparagus, snap peas, etc.

Topping Variations: Roasted potatoes would be a very tasty addition to this pizza. As would sweet red peppers. You could experiment with the cheeses….try a creamy Chevre or crumbles of Blue Cheese (with a light hand), Gruyère, or other favorite cheese.

Check out other pizza recipes on FWB:

Asparagus and Meyer Lemon Ricotta Pizza
Quick and Delicious Vegetarian Pizza