Who loves pizza on a Friday? Here’s a couple of vegetarian topping ideas with some mushies and a flurry of fresh greens. Grab a couple of ready made pizza bases, hand made from our friends at Millers Bread Kitchen, and a few fresh ingredients and you’re all set for a quick cook on pizza night. 

You’ll need:

2 ready made pizza bases

Topping 1 (for 2 bases)

Half butternut pumpkin, cut lengthways, seeds removed, peeled

6 thyme sprigs, leaves removed

200g shiitake mushrooms, large mushrooms cut into quarters, small ones left whole

½ cup Main Ridge Dairy Cashmere (or marinated feta, crumbled)

2 handfuls rocket leaves

Topping 2 (for 2 bases)

2 sebago potatoes

2 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary leaves

200g mozzarella, finely sliced or coarsely grated

6 anchovy fillets

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

200g oyster mushrooms, large mushrooms cut in half, small ones left whole

¼ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Have ready the pizza bases on two baking trays or place a pizza stone in the oven, if you have one. 

Slice the pumpkin or potato across into very thin slices, no wider than 2mm thick. A mandolin is the easiest tool to use.

For topping 1: heat the olive oil in a medium frying pan over a medium heat. Add shiitake mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened, tossing occasionally. Set aside.

Sprinkle half the thyme leaves across the pizza surface. Then arrange the pumpkin slices, overlapping to cover the surface. They’ll shrink during cooking. Brush the slices with a coating of olive oil and sprinkle with a little sea salt. Sprinkle over the remaining thyme leaves. Transfer pizza to the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, until the pumpkin is cooked through and there’s some browning around the pumpkin edges. Transfer directly to a cutting board. Working quickly, smear the goat’s cheese over the pumpkin surface. Scatter the shiitake and rocket leaves over the top and a grinding of black pepper. Slice into wedges and serve immediately.

For topping 2: heat the olive oil in a medium frying pan over a medium heat. Add the oyster mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened, tossing occasionally. Set aside.

Spread the two-thirds of the mozzarella evenly over the pizza surface, then sprinkle over the rosemary leaves. Arrange the potato slices, overlapping to cover the surface. They’ll shrink during cooking. Brush the slices with a coating of olive oil and sprinkle with a little sea salt. Scatter over the remaining mozzarella. Transfer pizza to the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, until the potato is cooked through and there’s some browning on the cheese. Transfer directly to a cutting board. Working quickly, scatter the shiitake and parsley leaves over the top and a grinding of black pepper. Slice into wedges and serve immediately.

Recipes by Fiona Hammond, June 2022