PIZZA MONTAGNARDE
(Mountaineer's Pizza)
--Dedicated to SJG, who's patiently waiting at home for her Reblochon

My father and I discovered this French pizza at Le Relais du Chateau, the little pizza-to-go shop across the street from our lodgings in Azay-le-Rideau. The shop has a window onto the street where you place your order and can watch the very friendly chef make your pizza. When our pizza was done, we took it back across the street to our overgrown garden and ate it under a bower close to the house as a light rain began to fall.

Pizza Montagnarde
1 pizza crust for a 9-inch, thin-crust pizza (not pre-baked)
2/3 cup creme fraiche, or enough to cover the crust well
3 small yellow potatoes, peeled, boiled to almost done, and then sliced into medium-thick rounds (or mashed is easy too)
6-8 narrow slices of Reblochon cheese (a cow's milk cheese from the alpine Savoie region of eastern France)
1 round of fresh mozzarella, cut into bite-sized chunks
1-2 medium yellow onions, caramelized
a few kalamata olives

1) Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit.
2) Place the pizza crust on a pizza pan (or pizza stone, following instructions).
3) Spread the creme fraiche evenly over the crust.
4) Arrange the potato slices in concentric circles, leaving space for the pieces of cheese. If you're using mashed potatoes instead, spread them evenly over the crust.
5) Place the pieces of Reblochon and mozzarella among the potato slices and distribute the caramelized onions evenly over the top.
6) Place the olives on top and bake the pizza for 15 minutes, or until crust is browned and the cheeses are bubbling nicely.

Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper or with a hot-pepper infused oil and serve with a sweet white wine. Serves two.