Cheese Blueberry and Lemon Verbena Pizza

The sauce on this pizza is made with blueberries smoothed over a cheese base and topped with peaches and my favorite herb lemon verbena.  This is the time of year I trim my leggy lemon verbena as I take them outside giving me a lot of extra leaves to use. This is not your everyday pizza, but it’s certainly a pizza worth having every day.

Cheese, Blueberry and Lemon verbena Sweet Pizza

1/4 cup ricotta cheese
2 ounces softened cream cheese
3 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
One (10-inch) prepared pizza dough or crust
2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 to 2 peaches, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1/4 cup chopped cashews
1 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh lemon verbena

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Blend together ricotta, cream cheese, 1 tablespoon sugar and vanilla extract. Spread cheese mixture evenly over crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border.

In microwave-safe bowl or small saucepan, combine blueberries, cornstarch and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar; toss to mix well. To make sauce in microwave, heat on high for 2 to 3 minutes (depending on your microwave’s wattage) until sauce thickens. To heat on stove, bring to a boil and simmer for about 1 minute or until sauce thickens. Let cool slightly and spread thickened blueberry sauce evenly on pizza.

Arrange sliced peaches on pizza in a spiral design. Top with cashews; sprinkle lemon verbena on top. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until crust is lightly golden. 

RECIPE THEME

Each month a theme is chosen and a number of recipes on that theme from my massive archive will be shared.  This year we have 12 new topics, different from the topics of last year.  To find the recipes of last year, check out this recipe link or search the blog with the topic Recipe2018, or Recipe2019 

You can search the monthly theme by looking for the theme keyword in the search box and it will pull up the recipes on that theme as posted, so look at the bottom of the recipe in each posting for the KEYWORD in the () to search for each  month.  All recipes this year will be tagged Recipe2020 so you can find them all.

The themes are:

Feb 2020 - Footbal Tailgate Favorites (AppFeb)

March 2020 - Kabobs (KabobMar)

April 2020 - Brunch (BrunchApr) more in 2021 also

May 2020 - Non-Traditional Pizza (PizzaMay)

June 2020 - StirFry Dishes (StirJun)

July 2020 - Salads with no lettuce (SaladJul)

August 2020 - Pickled things (PickleAug)

September 2020 - Quiche (QuicheSep)

October 2020 - Squash Soups (SquashOct)

November 2020 - Pumpkin (again) (PumpNov)

December 2020 - Turkey Recipes (TurkDec)

Unusual Pizza Weekend Recipe - Pork and Cabbage with Fennel Pizza

One last unusual pizza to cap the month.  This one with the tastes of fennel and celery seed bring a tasty earthy flavor to lean pork, which is perfectly balanced with cabbage and fresh sage.

Pork and Cabbage with Fennel Pizza  

Makes one 15-inch pizza

1 (12- to 14-ounce) prepared pizza dough
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons toasted wheat germ
2 teaspoons fennel seed, divided
1 teaspoon celery seed, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces lean pork (such as top loin), cut into strips or bite-sized pieces
4 cups sliced green cabbage
2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded gruyére cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roll out dough to fit a large nonstick baking pan or pizza screen. Baste crust with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil; set aside.

Combine wheat germ, 1 teaspoon fennel seed, 1/2 teaspoon celery seed and salt in a large plastic bag; shake until combined. Add pork cubes or strips and shake to coat with the herb mixture. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, add pork and cook, turning often, about 7 to 9 minutes. Remove pork from skillet and set aside.

Using same skillet, heat remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add cabbage, garlic and sugar along with remaining 1 teaspoon fennel seed and 1/2 teaspoon celery seed. Cook 2 to 4 minutes or until cabbage is slightly wilted. Add balsamic vinegar and cook 1 minute more; set aside.

Sprinkle both cheeses evenly over pizza crust. Arrange herb-crusted pork and cabbage mixture over crust, spreading to the edges. Top with fresh sage. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until crust is lightly golden and cheese is bubbly. 

RECIPE THEME

Each month a theme is chosen and a number of recipes on that theme from my massive archive will be shared.  This year we have 12 new topics, different from the topics of last year.  To find the recipes of last year, check out this recipe link or search the blog with the topic Recipe2018, or Recipe2019 

You can search the monthly theme by looking for the theme keyword in the search box and it will pull up the recipes on that theme as posted, so look at the bottom of the recipe in each posting for the KEYWORD in the () to search for each  month.  All recipes this year will be tagged Recipe2020 so you can find them all.

The themes are:

Feb 2020 - Footbal Tailgate Favorites (AppFeb)

March 2020 - Kabobs (KabobMar)

April 2020 - Brunch (BrunchApr) more in 2021 also

May 2020 - Non-Traditional Pizza (PizzaMay)

June 2020 - StirFry Dishes (StirJun)

July 2020 - Salads with no lettuce (SaladJul)

August 2020 - Pickled things (PickleAug)

September 2020 - Quiche (QuicheSep)

October 2020 - Squash Soups (SquashOct)

November 2020 - Pumpkin (again) (PumpNov)

December 2020 - Turkey Recipes (TurkDec)

Crabmeat Pizza with Dill and Chervil Weekend Recipe

This is the perfect non-traditional pizza to try.  The herbs are not your traditional pizza herbs with dill and chervil, but they combine as a great complement to asparagus and crab, the other unusual ingredients. You can mix it up by trying other fresh herbs, such as tarragon and dill, or tarragon and basil if you do not have any chervil at home.  You can click here to learn about Chervil if you want to try the celery-like herb.  

Dill, Chervil and Crab Meat Pizza

MAKES ONE 15-INCH PIZZA

1 (12- to 14-ounce) prepared pizza dough

1/2 cup prepared Alfredo sauce
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
1 tablespoon minced fresh chervil  (if you don't have fresh, use 1 Tablespoon BYP Seafood Seasoning to substitute for these two herbs)

1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
12 ounces lump crab meat, flaked
1 cup chopped fresh asparagus
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place pizza dough on a nonstick baking sheet or pizza screen. In a medium bowl, combine Alfredo sauce, yogurt, mustard, dill, chervil and sugar until thoroughly mixed. Spread sauce evenly over prepared pizza dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border for the crust.

Sprinkle both cheeses evenly over the pizza, then top with crab meat and asparagus. Sprinkle chives over toppings. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is bubbly.

7 Herbs for a Cutting Garden

I like to grow flowers for cutting bouquets but when I make a bouquet, I generally always add some herb or another.  They provide color, texture and scent to a lovely arrangement.  So here are some of the herbs I grow that make great bouquets.  And since some are perennials, you will get cuttings all season.

Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) is a member of the mint family and a wonderful butterfly and bee plant.  The foliage is large leafed, but the cone-shape purple flower heads are gorgeous and make a long-lasting attention grabbing addition to a bouquet.  And the flowers are totally edible with an anise or licorice scent and taste.

Basil (Ocimum basilicum) in the traditional style is not a good cutting herb, as it wilts easily.  But the smaller leafed varieties, like Thai Basil, Cinnamon Basil, or Dark Opal Basil will all look good and hold up well to a bouquet.

Calendula (Calendula officinalis) also known as Pot Marigold, this plant sports puffball flower heads in yellow and orange. If you want to grow it for cuttings, try 'Prince' or 'Kablouna' which are taller cultivars.

Dill (Anethum graveolens) and Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) both have a wonderful feathery foliage which makes great filler in a bouquet, not to mention they are both tasty to cook with!

Lavender (Lavendula) comes in many varieties.  One can grow Lavender Lady from seed and it will bloom in the first year.  But if you want a taller stem for arrangements, try English Lavender.  If you want a textured leaf with a funky flower, try French Lavender, also known as Lavender Cotton.

Any Mint (Mentha) will work in a bouquet and can make tea.  The strong stems makes them good in a vase and you can chose any number of scents and flavors, like chocolate mint, apple mint (fuzzy leaves), Spearmint, peppermint, orange mint and others.



Sage (Salvia) has a number of varieties, but the most common is Garden Sage with silver-gray leaves  and purple flowers in spring that are edible and attractive  The flowers taste musky and savory and the leaves look good fresh and dried.

Unusual Topping Pizza with herbs and Summer Squash - Weekend Recipe

Today’s pizza leans toward the traditional style with a slight twist, using a tomato-based sauce as the base and broccoli as an unconventional, but tasty, topping. 

Pizza with Summer Squash

MAKES ONE 12-INCH PIZZA

1 cup prepared marinara or spaghetti sauce

2 to 3 tablespoons tomato paste (depending on how thick you like your sauce)

1 (10-ounce) prepared pizza dough or crust
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 summer squash, sliced 1/3-inch-thick (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup diced red onion
1 tablespoon snipped fresh rosemary
1 to 2 teaspoons snipped fresh summer savory
1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped broccoli florets (chop into 1/2-inch pieces)
4 to 6 slices turkey bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces then cooked (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Combine marinara sauce and tomato paste. Spread sauce evenly over crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and distribute small dollops of ricotta cheese evenly over pizza.

Arrange squash slices on pizza as you would for pepperoni. Sprinkle red onion, rosemary and summer savory over the summer squash. Top with chopped broccoli and cooked bacon. Bake for 12 to 16 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is bubbly.

RECIPE THEME

Each month a theme is chosen and a number of recipes on that theme from my massive archive will be shared.  This year we have 12 new topics, different from the topics of last year.  To find the recipes of last year, check out this recipe link or search the blog with the topic Recipe2018, or Recipe2019 

You can search the monthly theme by looking for the theme keyword in the search box and it will pull up the recipes on that theme as posted, so look at the bottom of the recipe in each posting for the KEYWORD in the () to search for each  month.  All recipes this year will be tagged Recipe2020 so you can find them all.

The themes are:

Feb 2020 - Footbal Tailgate Favorites (AppFeb)

March 2020 - Kabobs (KabobMar)

April 2020 - Brunch (BrunchApr) more in 2021 also

May 2020 - Non-Traditional Pizza (PizzaMay)

June 2020 - StirFry Dishes (StirJun)

July 2020 - Salads with no lettuce (SaladJul)

August 2020 - Pickled things (PickleAug)

September 2020 - Quiche (QuicheSep)

October 2020 - Squash Soups (SquashOct)

November 2020 - Pumpkin (again) (PumpNov)

December 2020 - Turkey Recipes (TurkDec)

CSA box or Subscription Box of herbs seasonings and teas

Need Herbs?  Can't get out? We have a new item to make your pantry items more tasty.

A Monthly Herb Box - we will include:

• 5 Herb Mixes (easy to use combinations of herbs with a purpose, like dressings, dips and rubs.)
• 1 Herb Seasoning (shaker mixes to stock your spice drawer where herbs are combined for flavor to enhance your main ingredient.)
• 1 Herbal Tea (100% caffeine-free, all herb blends designed to be tasty with a few medicinal attributes on the side.)
• 1 Recipe Combination folder (includes all the information you need to craft a tasty main dish with actually herbs, shopping list for other needs, and step-by-step recipe)
• And a fist-full of additional recipes to help you use the items included in the box.
• a special extra (we are always experimenting with new blends, teas or unique items and we will share our newest ideas with you.)  

Each box is only $19.95. You can order one or order them sent monthly.  We will choose the mixes and seasonings for variety and the teas for season of use.

If you want one to try we have a great $5.00 off coupon, which can be used through June 30, 2020, just use this code during checkout: CSABox1

Meatless Monday - Veggie Pesto Pizza

We are trying to adopt one day a week of meatless meals.  That is the whole day from breakfast thru dinner. This pizza recipe, keeping to our monthly recipe theme, is a step toward that.  It is perfect for lunch or dinner. We used regular broccoli, because broccoli rabe is a bit out of season this time of year. 

I was experimenting with improvements to my Pesto blend, to which I have added sun dried tomato, so we actually used Backyard Patch Pesto Blend to make this.

Smokey Vegetable Pizza

2 Tbls olive oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped

½ bunch broccoli rabe, cut in 1-inch slices

½ sweet red pepper, seeded and sliced

4 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

1 lb. pizza dough at room temperature (make your own or use refrigerated)

1 cup pesto sauce (see our recipe here)

½ pound mozzarella

Directions:

Heat oven to 500 degrees F. Coat a 14-inch pizza pan with non-stick cooking spray. Heat olive oil in large skillet.  Stir in garlic, broccoli, red pepper, onion and mushrooms, season with salt and pepper.  Cook stirring for about 4 minutes.  On a lightly floured surface roll out dough into 14-inch circle.  Gently roll up onto a lightly flowered rolling pin and unrolled onto prepared pizza pan.

Spread pesto sauce over dough to within 1/2 inch of the edge.  Sprinkle with 1 ½ cups cheese over sauce.  Evenly spoon the vegetables over cheese.  Scatter the remaining cheese over vegetables.  Bake at 500 degrees F for 18 to 20 minutes or until nicely browned on bottom. Cool slightly before cutting to serve.

RECIPE THEME

Each month a theme is chosen and a number of recipes on that theme from my massive archive will be shared.  This year we have 12 new topics, different from the topics of last year.  To find the recipes of last year, check out this recipe link or search the blog with the topic Recipe2018, or Recipe2019 

You can search the monthly theme by looking for the theme keyword in the search box and it will pull up the recipes on that theme as posted, so look at the bottom of the recipe in each posting for the KEYWORD in the () to search for each  month.  All recipes this year will be tagged Recipe2020 so you can find them all.

The themes are:

Feb 2020 - Footbal Tailgate Favorites (AppFeb)

March 2020 - Kabobs (KabobMar)

April 2020 - Brunch (BrunchApr) more in 2021 also

May 2020 - Non-Traditional Pizza (PizzaMay)

June 2020 - StirFry Dishes (StirJun)

July 2020 - Salads with no lettuce (SaladJul)

August 2020 - Pickled things (PickleAug)

September 2020 - Quiche (QuicheSep)

October 2020 - Squash Soups (SquashOct)

November 2020 - Pumpkin (again) (PumpNov)

December 2020 - Turkey Recipes (TurkDec)

Mushroom Beef and Onion Tart - Monthly Recipe Theme - Weekend Recipe

In these unexpected times I chose the perfect recipe item for the month - Non-traditional Pizza.

This month I will share recipes that are not your typical pizza of red sauce and cheese on dough, but rather, unusual toppings and unusual crusts and all that it means to be unique and yet pizza.  But no there will be no pineapple on pizza -- ever!

I wanted to start with a tart for Mother's Day.  It is quick, easy and takes only 30 minutes.  Anyone can make it and I recommend starting with refrigerated pizza dough, but if you want to make your own from scratch, try this recipe:  at Allrecipes.com for Easy Pizza Dough

Beef, Mushroom and Onion Tart

12 ounces of lean ground beef

1 8-oz, package of sliced mushrooms

1/2 a medium red onion, sliced in thin wedges

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 13.8 oz. package of refrigerated pizza dough or one batch of your own recipe)

3 oz. blue cheese crumbled

Fresh oregano or BYP Pizza Shaker Seasoning

Heat the oven to 425 degrees F in a 12 inch skillet cook, beef, mushrooms and onion over low heat about 8 minutes or until beef is browned and onion tender, stirring occasionally.  Drain off fat.  Stir in salt and pepper.

Meanwhile grease a large baking sheet or line with parchment. Unroll the pizza dough on baking sheet.  Roll or pat dough to a 15 by 12 inch rectangle.  Top the dough with the beef mixture, keeping filling with in 1 1/2 inches form all edges.  Fold over the edges over the filling, pleating as needed.  

Bake tart 15 minutes or until crust is golden.  Top with blue cheese, oregano and pizza seasoning,

RECIPE THEME

Each month a theme is chosen and a number of recipes on that theme from my massive archive will be shared.  This year we have 12 new topics, different from the topics of last year.  To find the recipes of last year, check out this recipe link or search the blog with the topic Recipe2018 or Recipe2019 

You can search the monthly theme by looking for the theme keyword in the search box and it will pull up the recipes on that theme as posted, so look at the bottom of the recipe in each posting for the KEYWORD in the () to search for each  month.  All recipes this year will be tagged Recipe2020 so you can find them all.

The themes are:

Feb 2020 - Footbal Tailgate Favorites (AppFeb)

March 2020 - Kabobs (KabobMar)

April 2020 - Brunch (BrunchApr)

May 2020 - Non-Traditional Pizza (PizzaMay)

June 2020 - StirFry Dishes (StirJun)

July 2020 - Salads with no lettuce (SaladJul)

August 2020 - Pickled things (PickleAug)

September 2020 - Quiche (QuicheSep)

October 2020 - Squash Soups (SquashOct)

November 2020 - Pumpkin (again) (PumpNov)

December 2020 - Turkey Recipes (TurkDec)