Garden-Fresh Pizza

I spent most of yesterday afternoon in the kitchen, making a whole-wheat dough. It was a triple-sized recipe, so I used one dough ball for bread, one for cinnamon rolls and one for pizza. I must say that it turned out pretty good but it was a lot of work. The next time I think I will lighten up the dough and use half bread flour, instead of all whole-wheat flour. Then maybe my bread won't be so brick-like.

I decided to make a veggie pizza, using some vegetables I already had in the fridge, as well as some I purchased. I also picked some basil leaves for garnish. I would have liked to have fresh tomatoes, onions, spinach and peppers from our garden to use on the pizza, but it's a bit too early in the season. Ah well, I will have plenty of opportunities this summer. This is what I used on the pizza:

1 large tomato, sliced thin
1 vidalia onion, sliced thin
1 red pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 pint white mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan or romano cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning or oregano
4-6 basil leaves, julienned
Salt & pepper to taste
Olive oil

Roll out or stretch the dough to about a 12-inch circle, crimping the edges; place on a baking stone or pizza pan. Let it rest for about 10 minutes.

In a 9 or 10-inch nonstick pan, heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and peppers and saute for about 5 minutes until softened. Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute for a few minutes more, until lightly browned and softened. Set aside.

Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the dough and rub it all over, including the edges. Sprinkle half the parmesan cheese over the dough, then spread the onion/pepper/mushroom mixture on top. Next add the mozzarella cheese, then the tomato slices. Top with the remaining grated cheese, the Italian seasoning and the basil. Bake in a 425-degree oven for 15-20 minutes until browned and bubbling on top. For a crisper crust, place the pizza directly on the oven rack.

Of course, I served the pizza with a salad, with lettuces and radishes fresh from our garden. There is nothing better - and not an ounce of meat in the entire meal!

Note: I like to lay the tomato slices over the mozzarella cheese because the tomatoes can make the pizza crust watery. You can always save some of the mozzarella to sprinkle on top of the tomatoes with the parmesan cheese, if you like that cheesy top.