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.
Emmy Cooks 
Oregonzola :D It would have been in my basket in no time flat! Incredible sounding pizza, EC. Thank you!
Next time maybe I will try with homemade ricotta!
AHHH! That looks so good! Every time I see a pizza recipe, I start craving it lol :)
I know what you mean! Luckily, I make a lot of pizza so I get to try a lot of recipes and combinations. :)
You are SO lucky! My bf is a tad picky, so I can stray from the norm :(
Definitely going to try this!
Nice, enjoy!
Yum! I am putting this on my list to make this week; pizza is always a crowd pleaser in my house.
Do you see a difference in quality using a pizza stone? should I invest in one?
I really do think using a pizza stone makes a difference, because it gives you a ton of heat right on the crust from the bottom, so the crust cooks and crisps quickly. That said, you should probably only invest in one if you make your own pizza dough and you’re going to use it regularly–we make a lot of pizzas, so think it’s worth having a heavy dedicated piece of equiment for it!
I ADORE gorgonzola on pizza!
And the name Oregonzola is just irresistible. This looks terrific, Emmy!
Right? Isn’t that cute? I do love gorgonzola on pizzas also. Do you ever make that one with gorgonzola, carmelized onions, and walnuts? Mmmm. By the way, I checked out that no-knead guy’s pizza book and the only thing that jumped out at me was the idea to use quail eggs! Too cute. I hope your oven is fixed so this isn’t all too painful for you to talk about. :)
Was that the bird’s nest pizza? With shaved asparagus? That was a cute pie! The cookbook had some recipes for salads and desserts too . . . I don’t know, they were really good ideas but I don’t know if it would have been a good buy for me.
Oven is fixed — thank goodness! But they seem to have recalibrated it when they fixed it. It’s kind of strange and is throwing off all my cooking times. I feel like I have to get to know it all over again!
Yes! Thanks for the pizza crust recipe. I am trying it this week.
Lucky you–there is great homemade pizza in your near future! :)
We have been fancying pizza for a while, I just found my inspiration. I love making pizza, its the melting! Wonderful blog, thanks for sharingx (www.thebeachhousekitchen.wordpress.com)
I was thinking, “What can I make that everyone can grab as they come in from soccer practice, before heading out to the band concert?” This pizza, in individual sizes! The first diner is eating now, I’m sure others will enjoy later. Thanks for the inspiration.
I wish someone was making these for me to grab as I passed through MY kitchen! You’re a nice mom, Mercer Mom.