Summer Veggie Pizza

August 7, 2014

Do you have any food rules that you live by?

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If you're a follower of Michael Pollan, you'll certainly be familiar with his, which at their core are a great reminder that eating well doesn't have to be complicated. A few of my favorites

Rule #2 – “Don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food.”

Rule #6 – “Avoid foods that contain more than five ingredients.”

Rule #20 – “It's not food if it arrived through the window of your car.”

Rule #37 – “The whiter the bread, the sooner you'll be dead.”

Rule #17 – “Eat only foods that have been cooked by humans,” is taken up in this brilliantly illustrated short. It's actually a clip from an outtake of a longer talk Pollan gave at RSA in London, last May.

On the one hand, I applaud and say, “Yes, of course!” But on the other, I can't help but think it's often easier said than done in today's fast-paced world where husbands and wives both work, kids go in all directions, and millions of other demands vie for our time

Nothing happens in a vacuum, and even with the best of intentions, utopia can often prove elusive. My sincerest hope is The Veggies will help inspire you to cook at home, even just a little bit more, and have some fun along the way.

Making homemade pizza, whether it's open-faced or calzone-style, is great fun. Especially when kids get involved. Here, I used my favorite whole wheat dough recipe, which can easily be frozen ahead. Letting even the busiest of families make pizza night a possibility

With a fridge filled with beautiful veggies from our CSA, I couldn't resist using them as toppings. A few ideas for combinations are below, but of course, it's always fun to make them your own

Sauce – A tomato-based sauce, alfredo sauce, or even a black bean dipping sauce would be great

Veggie options – Broccoli, cherry tomatoes, corn, bell peppers, onions, yellow summer squash, zucchini, or spinach leaves

Cheese options – Fresh mozzarella, Parmesan, soft goat cheese, shredded Monterey Jack, Cheddar, or Swiss

Any favorite topping combos? I'd love to hear

Enjoy!

xoxo

~ Adapted from Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Ingredients

1 ¾ cups lukewarm water
½ Tbsp granulated yeast
1 Tbsp sea salt
¼ tsp dried oregano
a drizzle of honey
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 ½ cups whole wheat flour

Instructions

Mix the yeast, salt, sweetener, olive oil, and water in a 5-quart bowl, or a lidded (though not airtight) container
Mix in the remaining dry ingredients without kneading using a spoon or a mixer (with a dough hook)
Cover with a flour towel & allow the dough to rest at room temp until it has risen and collapsed (flattened on the top). About 2 hours
The dough can be used right away, after this initial rise, though it's quite a bit easier to handle when it's cold. Refrigerated in a lidded container and use for pizza or flatbread over the next week.
(Alternately, the dough can be stored for a month in the freezer (in ½-pound portions)
When using frozen dough, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before use.
On baking day, roll out or stretch the dough into a thin round & finish with your favorite toppings.
Cook at 425° F for 10 minutes (or until the crust is browned and the cheese is bubbly)