Quarantine Cuisine: Smoked Salmon Pizza from the Fogg Café

Try this ultra-thin-crust pie for a lighter twist on a classic bagel and lox.

by

As Earth Day approaches, we’ve been looking for ways to pay tribute to Mother Earth, even though we can’t get outside as much as we’d like. Fortunately, there are tons of virtual opportunities to get a local nature fix, and it’s easy as pie to contribute to an environmental nonprofit like the Conservancy of Southwest Florida.

We also reached out to Naples Botanical Garden for tips on starting a container garden and for a recipe that would make use of any homegrown, farmers’ market-sourced or store-bought greens (we recommend shopping from a chef-run virtual pantry).

This tasty, simple pizza recipe, courtesy of chef Jack Raben from the Fogg Café at Naples Botanical Garden, not only makes good use of Mother Earth’s bounty, it’s also packed with nutrients that will help you feel your best and keep your immune system strong. Raben’s Smoked Salmon Pizza is perfect to enjoy on your porch or by the pool. The base recipe only requires cream cheese, salmon and a tortilla, but from there, Raben says, you can get creative in dressing it with an assortment of fresh veggies and herbs for a perfect Earth Day lunch.

Smoked Salmon Pizza from the Fogg Café at Naples Botanical Garden

Yield: One 10-inch pizza

Total time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

What you’ll need:

One 10-inch flour tortilla (per pizza)

1/3 cup whipped cream cheese, room temperature

3-4 ounces smoked salmon, sliced thin (chef uses cold-smoked but a shredded, hot-smoked product will work, too)

Suggested Toppings:

3-4 lemon wedges

Chives, sliced thin

Extra virgin olive oil

Dill, picked

Fried capers (recipe below)

Pickled red onion (recipe below)

Baby arugula

Other Topping Options:

Cucumber, sliced

Tomato, diced

Green onion, sliced

Hard boiled egg, grated

Caper berries

Pickled or fresh jalapeño

Fried Capers:

Neutral-flavored oil, like canola or corn

Capers

Pickled Red Onion:

1 medium red onion, sliced thinly

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1 dried bay leaf

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup sherry vinegar

1 pinch salt

1/2 tablespoon sugar

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Lightly brush the tortilla on both sides with cooking oil and place in between two equally sized sheet trays (the top one keeps the tortilla flat as it cooks)
  3. Cook until golden brown and crispy; remove tortillas and let cool
  4. Arrange arugula on the plate (for flavor and functionality)
  5. Gently spread cream cheese on the cooked tortilla crust
  6. Lay out the smoked salmon, evenly covering the crust
  7. By this point the tortilla should have just softened enough to cut into 6-10 pieces, cut and place on top of arugula
  8. Garnish with fried capers, chives, lemon wedges, extra virgin olive oil, dill, and pickled red onions, plus any other toppings you choose

For the Fried Capers

  1. In a pan, heat oil to about 275 degrees, or until it looks glossy
  2. Strain capers and fry in oil until bubbles stop rising
  3. Remove from oil, strain, pat dry and reserve

For the Pickled Red Onions

  1. Heat liquid, spices, salt and sugar, until sugar is dissolved
  2. Pour over onions and let cool
  3. Cover and reserve overnight, or up to 3-5 days in the refrigerator