by Megan Winfrey

An old friend of mine recently turned me onto a new cookbook by photographer and seasonal food enthusiast Rohan Anderson. It's called "A Year in Practiculture," and it is right up the alley of anyone who would subscribe to a local CSA program. Anderson's lifestyle of living off the land is humble and inspiring. He makes this enviable way of life seem totally attainable, even for those of us who can't quit the city and retire to a plot of uncharted land. The recipes are simple, and simply delicious. The writing is funny and unpretentious. It's been on our coffee table for about 2 weeks, and my husband and I have both gotten lost in it on numerous occasions. Even our one year old has enjoyed flipping through the stunning, thick pages filled with gorgeous food and farm photography.



The recipe I've chosen to share this week is so simple, and the flavors blew me away. I did use store bought pizza dough mix, which isn't what Mr. Anderson intended, but oh well it's delicious either way! I know you will all love this recipe and be left wanting more, so I've included more info about "A Year in Practiculture" is at the bottom of this post! Enjoy.

Hipster's Kale Pizza

• 1-2 tbs. olive oil
• 2 tbs. butter
• 4 garlic cloves, diced
• 2-3 cups kale leaves, stems removed
• 1 pizza base, homemade or not
• Plain flour, for dusting
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1 slice of bacon, rough chopped
• 3 oz. blue cheese, sliced

Preheat oven to 425ºF



Heat the olive oil and butter in a pan over low heat. Add the garlic and gently cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the kale and cook until wilted, adding water or white wine if it starts to dry out. It will take about 10 minutes for the kale to become fully tender, so test it as you go. Dust your hands and work surface in flour and begin to spread out your pizza dough on a baking sheet or pizza stone. I found that pulling the dough in opposite directions GENTLY with fingertips worked well. Be patient and generous with the flour, because this dough can be sticky and tricky.

Smother with the tomato paste, then spoon over as much kale as you like. Sprinkle over the mozzarella, lay the bacon pieces out evenly, drizzle the whole thing with olive oil, and pop in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is light golden brown.



When done, remove from the oven and immediately top with slices of blue cheese. They will melt gloriously. Slice and serve.

Here is the link to buy "A Year in Practiculture" by Rohan Anderson. It's an absoulte steal with Amazon Prime!