eat this: fresh arugula + fontina flatbread.

On our honeymoon in Portland, OR we ate at the most amazing Spanish tapas-style restaurant. It was a meal that the two of us will never forget. When we got there, they sat us at the chef's counter where we watched all the food being prepared in a precise but fluid hurry. We were in awe seeing all the chefs move together in what was one of the tiniest restaurant kitchens I've ever seen. They didn't even bat an eye! We ordered so much food and enjoyed every morsel, but our favorite item on the menu was an incredible flatbread that was so flavorful and delicious we could hardly believe it!

When we got home, we vowed that we would try to replicate the recipe in our own kitchen. We were really pleased with the results and wanted to share them with you. The one ingredient that we don't have is black truffle oil (which really does add a special flavor), but we used some olive oil and it still tasted really, really good.

Fresh Arugula + Fontina Flatbread
Serves 2 

INGREDIENTS
Pizza dough (we like the pre-made one from Trader Joe's)
1/2 cup fontina cheese, shredded
1 cup fresh arugula
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
The juice of one lemon
Splash of balsamic vinegar
Salt + pepper to taste
* These measurements are approximate. We did not measure anything out when we made this.

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 500º F.

2. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and roll as flat as possible. Brush about 1 tablespoon of olive oil onto each flatbread so that the entire surface of each is lightly covered. Spread minced garlic over the dough (1 clove per bread, we like garlic so you could easily dial this down). Cook the flatbread for 8-9 minutes, or until the top of the dough is crispy.

3. As the dough cooks, rinse arugula under cold water to refresh the leaves. Place in a bowl and dress with 1 teaspoon olive oil, the juice of a lemon, and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Mix the leaves until they are evenly coated. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

4. Shred about 1/2 cup of fontina cheese over a small bowl. Set aside.

5. Pull the breads from the oven and generously cover each with cheese. Place back in the oven for 3-4 minutes, or until the cheese is just melted and the crust looks golden brown.

6. Remove from the oven and spread the arugula leaves over each flatbread. Lightly brush the crust with olive oil & enjoy!

- J&R