Hot Date, Kumquat, and Kashkaval Focaccia Pizzas

Even after all these years it’s hard for my brain and taste buds to cooperate long enough to reconcile the fact that the rind of a kumquat is sweet and the flesh is tart. Other than eating them by the bushel, I try to keep the party going by using them in as many ways as possible. Putting them on Erez’s focaccia dough (see Erez’s Wedding Lamb Focaccia) with chewy charred dates, sharp kashkaval cheese, and fiery chilies is a combination I turn to again and again. If you don’t feel like making focaccia, use your favorite pizza dough for this recipe.

Makes 4 focaccias

Active Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 4 hours

½ recipe Focaccia Dough

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup (4 ounces) grated kashkaval cheese

8 kumquats, thinly sliced, or ½ orange, thinly sliced, seeds removed

8 Medjool dates, pitted and sliced or torn into pieces

1 red hot chili pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

Fresh oregano or za’atar leaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Make a half recipe of Erez’s Wedding Lamb Focaccia and follow all instructions for shaping. Instead of making the lamb topping, sprinkle each of the pizzas with ¼ cup of the kashkaval cheese, 2 sliced kumquats, 2 torn dates, some chilies, and some oregano. Season with salt and pepper and bake using the same instructions as for the lamb pizzas. Remove from the oven and garnish with more oregano leaves.