Scrambled Egg & Beet Greens Pizza

Farm fresh eggs and farm share beet greens celebrate Spring on this vegetarian pizza.

I have a friend who celebrates the equinoxes with black and white meals. While I'd love the creative challenge, I'm more inspired by the themes of the upcoming season. All over the yard I'm seeing signs of rebirth--the daffodils my dad several years ago are peeping though the leaf mulch, the buds on the peach and dogwood trees are swelling, and I figured out which one of my raised beds has our garlic growing. [I'd forgotten where I planted it.] You can see that photo on my FB page.

I don't know if it's Easter or longer days and happier chickens, but eggs seem more abundant in Spring. I like to put my seasonal abundance on a Friday Night Pizza. I wasn't thrilled with the stress of cracking a raw egg atop a pizza, in my Ham, Asparagus, Leek & Egg Pizza. I worried about burning the crust before fully cooking the egg.

Instead, I figured I would partially cook a scrambled egg and add that to a pizza. Since beet greens and eggs are an amazing combination, I figured I'd give it a try on this pizza. I used a vegan hickory bacon-flavored seasoning salt, and sharp cheddar topped the whole pie. The whole family got on board this one, and I had no daytime leftovers to photograph in natural light.

Reminder to us all--save your eggshells to grind up and add to your garden bed. This will boost the calcium available to your tomatoes and help prevent blossom end rot. Nobody wants a rotten blossom end, especially on a tomato.

For other recipes using beet greens, please see my Beet Recipes Collection, part of the Visual Recipe Index by Ingredient. For other vegetarian pizza recipes please see my Visual Pizza Recipe Index or my Friday Night Pizza Night Pinterest board.

For general hints, tips, and photo collages please check out my Pizza Primer post, a brain dump of all things related to making pizza in my home kitchen.  For a photo album of pizza dough troubleshooting tips, please see my FB page.

Scrambled Egg & Beet Greens Pizza

1 pound pizza dough (maybe this Fast Creamy Honey Wheat dough?)

greens from ½ bunch beets (about 1 cup chopped stems and 2-3 cups chopped leaves)

4 to 5 teaspoons olive oil, divided

a generous pinch of salt and several grinds of pepper

1 teaspoon sherry vinegar

3 eggs, lightly scrambled

1½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

hickory bacon salt or other seasoned salt

Preheat oven and a pizza stone (really, just get one--suggestions in the sidebar ad) to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium skillet over medium heat, warm 2 teaspoons of oil and sauté beet stems for 3 minutes. Add the leaves and stir until wilted, another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a plate and season with a sprinkle of salt, pepper, and a splash of vinegar. Add the remaining teaspoon of oil to the skillet and briefly scramble the egg until the whites thicken but are still clear. Remove from heat.

On an oiled piece of parchment paper, spread dough into the shape that works for you both today. Brush crust with remaining olive oil (a teaspoon or two). Scatter seasoned beet greens across the top, then cover with gently scrambled eggs. Throw the cheese willy nilly over the whole lot, and slide, parchment paper and all, into the hot oven. [If you don't have a stone use a cookie sheet.] Bake for 5 to 8 minutes, then shimmy the parchment paper out from underneath the crust and bake directly on the stone for another 3 to 5 minutes until cheese is melted. Shake a bit of bacon flavored salt over top.