I can never resist the cheese counter at my local co-op.  It has a small selection of cheeses, but they’re meticulously curated by a cheese enthusiast whose palate seems in tune with my own, and I always love everything he recommends.  Last time I was in the store I browsed by myself, however.  I know I probably should have chosen a cheese based on the type of milk used, or the region from which it hailed, but I will admit to having used one criterion only to select this cheese: its name.

Oregonzola.  Isn’t that cute?  See how they did that?  A blue cheese, a local spin, a clever pun, and I’m sold.  And it was quite nice, I must say.

It’s the weekend, so make your pizza crust today (recipe here) to have it handy in the fridge for a speedy weeknight dinner.

Leek and Mushroom Pizza with Blue Cheese:  Set your oven to 550 and put in a pizza stone or flat cookie sheet to preheat.  Cook plenty of sliced mushrooms in a big pan over high heat, stirring often, until they release their liquid and turn golden brown.  Scoop the mushrooms into a bowl and then use the same pan to saute chopped leeks until they begin to soften.  Add a few spoonfuls of water to allow them to soften without browning.  When the leeks are soft, stir in the cooked mushrooms and season well with salt and pepper.  Thinly roll or stretch out a homemade or store bought pizza crust onto a piece of parchment paper.  Give it a light brushing of olive oil and a sprinkle of mozzarella, then top with the mushroom-leek mixture and crumble blue cheese over.  Use a pizza peel or flat cookie sheet to slide your pizza, parchment paper and all, onto your pizza stone or preheated cookie sheet and bake until the crust is crisp.  This takes 4-5 minutes in my oven on a pizza stone; it may take longer in yours depending on whether you are using a pizza stone and how thin your crust is.  I always like this Romaine Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette with pizza (hold the croutons), and this one with smoked salmon and tomatoes would be good as well.