Pizza Quatre Saisons

When I decided to include 4 Seasons Pizza in Chapter 12: Provence, it wasn’t because I had fallen in love with these flavors in Provence, but because I had in Florence, Italy 22 years prior. And I didn’t just eat 4 Seasons Pizza once in Italy, it was an almost daily meal at the osteria I frequented with my roommates around the corner from our apartment in Florence.

Upon Noëlle’s arrival in Provence, she is defeated, exhausted, and literally starving. I wanted her to have a satisfying but simple meal that would bring her comfort, and the humble ingredients yet robust flavors of 4 Seasons Pizza seemed the way to go. It was something I loved when I was alone in a foreign country, and decided it would do the same good for Noëlle.

Before I give you the recipe, how about a few pictures from my time in Italy in 2003? It was without a doubt a defining time period of my life. And without a doubt, I will write a novel with my life in Florence at twenty years old as the inspiration.

Here’s an excerpt from chapter 12:

The salivary glands below her ears burned in anticipation as she lifted a slice and closed her eyes, savoring th eunfamiliar. Salty ham combined with the earthy flavor of artichoke was a timeless pairing, and she devoured the entire piece, enjoying the crunch of the salty crust as much as the flavorful toppings. The next piece she chose was covered in dark kalamata olives whose salty brine was overpowering but int he best way. Flavor flooded her senses, and she continued bite by bite, piece after piece, until th entire pizzza was gone.

Noëlle leaned back in her chair, stuffed, with the buzz of satisfaction lazily circulating through her body. During her visit to Saint-Rémy, Noëlle’s pizza choice had been a plain cheese; her youthful, Americanized tastebuds were not interested in gourmet toppings at the time…

FYI:

In the book, the four “seasons” represented in toppings are mushrooms, proscuitto, olives, and artichokes. I have seen several versions where the mushrooms and proscuitto are in the same quadrant, and sliced tomatoes are in the fourth. So maybe don’t take this recipe as the most authentic version in the world.

Also, regarding the pizza crust, I’m going to suggest you either buy a ready made crust (like Boboli), or purchase ready made dough (like from Trader Joe’s.) True French pizza crust doesn’t use butter, only yeast, and to be honest, I don’t have a recipe for that.

Ingredients:

• (1) ready made pizza crust

• 1 cup your favorite marinara sauce. I actually love the Organic Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce from Walmart

• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

• 4-6 slices proscuitto

• 1 cup marinated artichokes

• 3/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced

• 3/4 cup baby portabello mushrooms, sliced

• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded *more if you like it cheesier

• drizzle of olive oil

Instructions:

1. Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce over the entire surface of the pizza crust.

2. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella over the entire surface of the pizza crust.

3. In one quadrant, add artichokes. In the next quadrant, add mushrooms. Then olives, and finally the proscuitto.

4. Tear and sprinkle basil leaves over the top of each quadrant; drizzle with olive oil

5. Bake according to crust package directions. Enjoy while hot! (I bake at 450° for twenty minutes)

6. I add a little fresh basil right before serving.

Friends, I hope you’ll enjoy making 4 Seasons Pizza. Be flexible with the recipe and make it your own. If you don’t like olives, leave those out and add freshly sliced tomatoes instead, or bell peppers, or whatever you prefer.