Name: Farm Fresh Summer Pizza
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups All-purpose flour; 1/2 package active dry yeast; 1 tbs vegetable oil; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tbs white sugar; 1/2 cup warm water; 2 cloves roasted garlic (mashed); 1 small can diced tomatoes; 1/2 red onion (diced); 2 tsp fresh oregano (chopped); 2 tsp fresh basil (chopped); 2 tsp red pepper flakes; 1 tsp lemon zest; 5 fairytale eggplants (sliced); 3 garlic scapes (whole); 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes (halved); 1/2 package of mozzarella cheese; 3 leaves fresh basil

Like so many great summer recipes, this one started with the ingredients in my fridge and windowsill, namely the little fairytale eggplants, garlic, and garlic scapes from Sunday’s farmers’ market and the basil and oregano I’m growing. As Mark Bittman pointed out in today’s New York Times’ Diner’s Journal, there’s nothing like fresh basil. I wanted a light, fresh dinner that would showcase the produce in a fun way and I really had no idea what to do with the garlic scapes. Enter the pizza. Roasted garlic cooked into the pizza dough was delicious, particularly when the garlic flavor was mirrored by the scapes. I sauteed the eggplants and scapes before baking, giving them a chance to cook down a bit and bring out their flavors independently of the pizza. The eggplant, particularly with fairytale eggplants, becomes creamy and is almost part of the sauce. The fresh tomatoes mellow out the strength of the garlic and tomato sauce.

Farm Fresh Summer Pizza

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Servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
1/2 package active dry yeast
1 tbs vegetable oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tbs white sugar
1/2 cup warm water
2 cloves roasted garlic mashed
1 small can diced tomatoes
1/2 red onion diced
2 tsp fresh oregano chopped
2 tsp fresh basil chopped
2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp lemon zest
5 fairytale eggplants sliced
3 garlic scapes whole
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes halved
1/2 package of mozzarella cheese
3 leaves fresh basil

Instructions

Preparation

1 Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Add oil and warm water. Mix and knead until ingredients form a dough. Add mashed garlic cloves (roast garlic by wrapping cloves in tin foil and placing in the oven at 400°F for twenty-thirty minutes).2 Stretch dough over greased cookie sheet or pizza pan. Spread as evenly and thinly as possible, patching holes with excess dough from edges.3 Bake at 375°F for 10-15 minutes or until crust becomes golden brown.4 Empty tomatoes into heated sauce pan. Simmer over medium heat for ten minutes. Add onion.5 When the onion is soft add seasonings except lemon zest. Cook until tomatoes are soft and flavors have been absorbed. Sprinkle lemon zest and mix. Spread over pizza.6 Sauté eggplants and garlic scapes in 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. Place on top of sauce, followed by cherry tomatoes. Cover toppings with cheese as desired7 Bake pizza at 375°F for 10-15 minutes or until desired done-ness.8 Top with fresh basil and serve

Special instructions

Like so many great summer recipes, this one started with the ingredients in my fridge and windowsill, namely the little fairytale eggplants, garlic, and garlic scapes from Sunday’s farmers’ market and the basil and oregano I’m growing. As Mark Bittman pointed out in today’s New York Times’ Diner’s Journal, there’s nothing like fresh basil. I wanted a light, fresh dinner that would showcase the produce in a fun way and I really had no idea what to do with the garlic scapes. Enter the pizza. Roasted garlic cooked into the pizza dough was delicious, particularly when the garlic flavor was mirrored by the scapes. I sauteed the eggplants and scapes before baking, giving them a chance to cook down a bit and bring out their flavors independently of the pizza. The eggplant, particularly with fairytale eggplants, becomes creamy and is almost part of the sauce. The fresh tomatoes mellow out the strength of the garlic and tomato sauce.