Heirloom tomatoes are beautiful, colorful gorgeous fruits. They make salads brighter and bolder. These heirloom varieties also have a historical context too, as their seeds have been passed down through several generations. Preserving their diverse varying colors and incredible flavor.
I love Pizza, I mean who doesn’t. Its certainly delicious, but its also diverse and I love that in any mood, I can usually find the right combination of toppings to satisfy my cravings (and lift my spirits!). A dear friend of my mom’s asked me recently to seek out a top-notch pizza crust recipe. Obviously, I was immediately excited and ready to take on the task. After searching through recipes and experimenting with the options however, I really couldn’t settle on ONE. And so, the ‘Pizza Crust Chronicles’ were born. From Yeast to No Yeast, Gluten-Free, Veggie, or Vegan I plan to organize this ode’ to the pizza pie as an easy reference for your next homemade ‘za.
First up, is The Cauliflower Crust. Unorthodox I know, but I’ve seen a rise in recipes touting the veggie and couldn’t help but experiment with it myself. Cauliflower is low in fat and low in carbohydrates but high in fiber which make it the perfect healthy alternative to your typical greasy pizza crust. Not only is it healthy, but truly easy to make. Bonus!
Cauliflower Pizza Crust:
Preheat Oven: 400 degrees
2 cups cauliflower, grated or food processed into rice size pieces
1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
1 egg, beaten
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. oregano
1. Coat a cookie sheet with a thin layer of olive oil.
2. Spread grated cauliflower across oil-glazed cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
3. In a bowl, mix cauliflower, cheese, egg, garlic and oregano until well combined and dough-like in texture.
4. Spread mixture onto a parchment paper-covered pizza pan and create a circular crust. Bake for 25 minutes.
I topped my Cauliflower crust with Sweet potato mash, feta cheese, caramelized onion and collard greens. It was both savory and a little sweet, but all together delicious. I love reminding myself that this pizza is “healthy” and therefore eating 6 pieces is totally acceptable.
Sweet Potato, Feta Cheese and Collard Green Pizza:
1 sweet potato, medium-sized
2 cups collard greens, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbs feta cheese, crumbled
2 garlic cloves, minced or smashed and chopped
pinch of salt
1. Bake sweet potato in oven at 400 degrees for 1 hour, or until well done.
2. Heat 1 tbs. of olive oil in frying pan and saute onion until tender
3. Add collard greens and lemon juice into pan and saute until wilted, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
4. Remove sweet potato from skin and mix in a bowl with salt.
5. Spread sweet potato mash onto pizza crust and top with garlic.
6. Sprinkle feta cheese and greens on top of potato layer.
7. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes.
8. Let cool for 5 minutes. Slice, serve and enjoy.
I’ll be posting periodically in the ‘Pizza Crust Chronicles’ as I come across delicious crusts and experiment with new recipes . I hope you’ll stay tuned and feel free to share any “must-try” crusted creations you can’t live without.
Hail to the ‘za, in every top and crusted form
love,
tricia
Thanks for visiting this very first entry in what should be considered a visual timeline of my own growth through the seasons. Growth from the ground up, growth in the exploration of flavors and culinary aptitude, and growth in community coming together around the table; to dine, to talk, and to build relationships with one another. I want to give you a taste of what is to come in both literal and written context. This blog will evolve around the themes of these three words; Grow, Food, Community. Mix them up, shake them around, put them together and you’ll begin to understand the premise of Growth by the Season.
My name is Tricia and I have a passion for food that’s blended with an incredible appreciation for the community that exists because of it. From farm to table, people and food intertwine. It is because of this that Growth by the Season has begun to take shape. You can expect recipes straight from my kitchen as I continue exploring my own culinary journey. You’ll be introduced to the farms I visit to get my hands in the dirt and the growth of my own garden as spring comes back around. The people and community will always be present and often highlighted in instances of inspiration.
For the literal taste we’ll start off with a recipe. A Grecian number I debuted at my boyfriend’s mother’s home not too long ago, and one that was gratefully responded to with high remarks!
Basil & Spinach Pie
Preheat Oven: 350 degrees
Prep Time: 20 Min
Cooking Time: 25 Min
Serves 4
ingredients
First, a delicious smelling onion & garlic oil is your task. Start with your olive oil in a pan at medium heat and once the oil is warmed add your chopped red onion & scallions. As they become tender add garlic to the mixture, letting it cook to a light golden brown, being extra careful not to burn.
Wilt spinach & basil in the pan by adding 1 half portion at a time, stirring thoroughly until all spinach is tender when you’ll scrape the contents of the pan into a small bowl to cool.
As that sweet smelling garlic spinach cools down just a bit, grab a larger bowl and whisk together your eggs and feta cheese, LOTS of feta cheese. Spanakopita is nothing without this deliciously cheesy component so overindulgence is absolutely recommended. Add the contents of the spinach bowl into the larger bowl and mix together. Add the salt & pepper to taste and Viola! the creamy & satisfying filling for your pie.
Now for the construction: Melt butter to use almost as a binding paste. Phyllo dough is very temperamental. It will crumble and become fragile easily, so when you open it up cover its entirety with a towel. Brush a light coating of butter along the walls of your baking pan. You will need to lightly butter each sheet of phyllo dough you add to the pie, first placing six sheets down at the bottom of your pan. Once you have six down, spread a portion of the spinach and cheese mixture evenly over the top. Repeat these layering steps with six more sheets of phyllo dough (remembering to butter every one) followed by the rest of the filling. You’ll place a layer of eight more sheets of phyllo to the top to finish the pie!
Bake for 25-28 minutes until you have a golden brown, buttery flaky crust on top. Mmm, my mouth is watering just thinking about it! oh yeah, Make some and air mail me a piece while you’re at it, those are my final instructions. I would devour a slice of spanakopita for lunch!
Happy cooking times my dear friends!
love, tricia