Cherry and arugula salad pizza

Cherries! Boy, do I have cherries. I got six pounds of cherries for Mother’s Day and I have been getting cherries in my CSA box every week. That is a lot of cherries. What do you do with that many cherries?

We ate what we could, but then I made cherry ice cream, a cherry pie and put some on pizza. I became inspired when I opened my morning paper and found some great cherry recipe ideas by Lesley Stiles. I slightly modified her recipe for cherry arugula salad and put it on a pizza. The salty cheese and the sweet salad make an amazing combination.

Cherry and arugula salad pizza

1 large red onion

1 cup gruyere cheese, grated

1/4 cup cherries, pitted and quartered

1/8 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

1/2 tablespoon chevre, crumbled

2 cups arugula

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar

squeeze of fresh lemon juice

salt and pepper

Chop the red onion into slices and saute over low heat until caramelized for 15-20 minutes.

While onion is sauteing, prepare the salad dressing. Combine olive oil, rice vinegar, lemon juice and salt and pepper in a glass jar. Shake well.

Roll out pizza dough and brush bottom with a generous amount of olive oil. Top with red onions and gruyere cheese and bake on the bottom rack of a 500 degree oven for 7-10 minutes.

While pizza is baking toss the salad. Combine arugula, cherries, walnuts and chevre. Salt and pepper to taste. Toss will salad dressing.

When the pizza comes out of the oven, spread the arugula salad over the top. Slice and serve. The salad will not keep well so leftovers for lunch doesn’t work well with this pizza. But, it is so good, I doubt you will have leftovers.