Oak Knoll Inn

Napa Valley, California

Specialty Recipe

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pizza

Before heading out for a day of wine-tasting, guests at Oak Knoll Inn start with an abundant breakfast.
The fruit course that begins the meal varies with the season and always incorporates fresh local fruit, prepared in an enticing and original way.

Ingredients:

Pizza Dough:

1-1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 ounces cold sweet butter, cut into cubes

1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons cold milk

Sauce:

6 rhubarb stalks

1/2 to 3/4 cups of sugar

1/4 cup Marsala wine

Topping:

1 cup water

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup rhubarb slices, bias-cut

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

strawberries, sliced

Dough: Mix flour, baking powder and salt in food processor. Add butter and pulse 30 or 35 times to pea-size pieces. Add cold milk and pulse just until combined. There will be small clumps.

Knead a few times, turn out onto a floured surface, and roll out or push and poke the dough into a 12-inch circle. Place on a cookie sheet. Raise the edge slightly to hold in the sauce and topping.

Sauce: Chop rhubarb stalks and add to 1/2 to 3/4 cups of sugar (depending on how tart the rhubarb is) and 1/4 cup of Marsala wine. Gently cook in a saucepan until it's mushy, stirring occasionally. This will take about 10 minutes. Let it cool slightly while you prepare the topping.

Topping: Make a simple syrup of 1 cup water and 3/4 cup sugar. Bring to a boil. Add rhubarb slices and FRESHLY GRATED NUTMEG and return to a boil. Remove from heat, add sliced strawberries, and immediately strain liquid from fruit. Set fruit aside. Bring liquid to a boil again and reduce to 1/3 cup.

Assemble: Spread sauce over pizza dough. Top with sliced strawberries and rhubarb, leaving an edge that's uncovered. Drizzle a little melted butter and Grand Marnier over the top. Bake in a 450-degree preheated oven for 20 minutes until the crust is golden. Remove from oven and pour reduced sugar syrup over top. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Slice into 8 pieces and serve with a wonderful fresh sorbet -- mango or papaya are a nice contrast in flavor, or use strawberry for a same fruit/different temperature and taste contrast.

Alternatives: Use peaches or mango as a topping over raspberry sauce, or fresh figs with prosciuttos -- whatever is fresh and wonderful in the market.

• Oak Knoll Inn