Melted Leek & Fontina Focaccia Pizzas

Preheat the oven to 475°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Halve the bread. Peel the parsnips; halve crosswise, then cut lengthwise into ½-inch-thick sticks. Peel the carrots; halve crosswise, then cut lengthwise into ½-inch- thick sticks. Using a peeler, remove the yellow rind of the lemon, avoiding the white pith; mince the rind to get 2 teaspoons of zest (or use a zester). Quarter and deseed the lemon. Trim off and discard the root end and upper, dark-green leaves of the leek. Halve lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise; place in a bowl of cold water and stir vigorously to remove any dirt between the layers. Cut off and discard the stem ends of the Brussels sprouts; thinly slice. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Grate the fontina cheese (discarding any rind).

Place the parsnips and carrots on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; toss to thoroughly coat. Arrange in a single, even layer and roast 22 to 24 minutes, or until browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven and top with the honey and the juice of 2 lemon wedges; carefully toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving dish and set aside in a warm place.

While the parsnips and carrots roast, using your hands, remove the rinsed leek from the bowl of water and pat dry with paper towels. In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the Brussels sprouts and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the leek, garlic and as much of the red pepper flakes as you'd like, depending on how spicy you'd like the dish to be; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 7 to 8 minutes, or until lightly browned and softened. Turn off the heat and stir in the juice of 1 lemon wedge. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

While the parsnips and carrots continue to roast, place the bread on a sheet pan, cut sides up; generously drizzle with olive oil. Evenly top with the cooked Brussels sprouts and leek and fontina cheese; season with salt and pepper. Bake 14 to 16 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the bread is crispy. Remove from the oven and let stand for at least 2 minutes before serving.

While the pizzas bake, in a bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, lemon zest, the juice of the remaining lemon wedge and a drizzle of olive oil; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Evenly top the baked pizzas with spoonfuls of the lemon ricotta. Serve the finished pizzas with the roasted parsnips and carrots on the side. Enjoy!