CSA and pizza – a happy partnership

We are getting closer to CSA season, two weeks from tomorrow is my first pick up. As we countdown I want to share tips for using the produce from your CSA. Pizza is a great partner for a family with a CSA.

Is Friday night pizza night at your house? It has become so at the request of my 6 year old at our house. My husband sighs on Friday mornings as he leaves, knowing he’s coming home AGAIN to pizza on Friday. He recently requested an adult pie for he and I to share, an option that provides variety to the standard tomato sauce and meat topping (turkey pepperoni, meatballs, or chicken sausage for my kids). CSA season will allow me to easily fulfill his request. Pizza is a great way to use leftover veggies and herbs you can’t use fast enough. Often I find myself with just a few roasted vegetables, those will be great to throw on a pizza. I have pesto recipes for every herb – basil, parsley, cilantro, etc. Those make great alternative sauces. My Dad’s wife, an Italian through and through, recently reminded me that pizza was invented to get rid of leftovers, let’s celebrate CSA season with creative, leftover pizza toppings.

This pizza is made from the last of my frozen pesto. I don't freeze it with cheese or nuts, so it makes for a perfect pizza sauce to which I add pine nuts, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan. I love it with a little crushed red pepper added right before serving.

Here is my pizza crust recipe…
Formulated with inspiration from these two recipes
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/whole-wheat-pizza-dough
http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/homemade_pizza/

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

1 ½ cups warm water (105degrees F – 115degrees F)
1 package (2 ¼ t) of active dry yeast
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup Bread Flour
1 cup Self Rising Flour
¼ cup olive oil
2 t salt
2 T sugar

Add warm water to the bowl of the stand mixer (Kitchen Aid). Sprinkle on the yeast and let site for 5 minutes. Stir to dissolve completely at the end of 5 minutes.

With the mixing paddle, combine the olive oil, flour, salt and sugar with the yeast water on low speed. When combined, switch to the dough hook and knead for about 10 minutes on medium speed. You may want to start on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Places the dough ball in a bowl coated with olive oil. Coat the dough ball with olive oil too. Let sit in a warm place for 1 – 1 ½ hours.
Need a warm place? Heat the oven to 150degrees F and then turn it off. Place the dough in the oven to rise.