Eggplant Zucchini Pesto Pizza

Statistically, most people in North America, when posed the question, “What’s your favourite food?” Many or most would say pizza. But what they’re referring to, is often the kind that comes to your door when you make a phone call, or the type that comes in a box out of the freezer. That is not pizza. That is utter… (sorry to be crass) crap. Many admit it when they eat it that pizza is very bad for you but shrug in indifference because, yes it does taste good in a fast food sort of way. People like it because of the processed meats, sugary tomato sauce with MSG, pounds of fatty cheese and all white bread that’s all manufactured, chemically enhanced and designed to taste good, so what’s not to like? Pizza can be so bad for you in the North American derivative as we butcher (in the bad sense) the original version of all foods from the way they were meant to be. For example: Chicken enchiladas were meant to be made with slow cooked chicken and home made chicken stock and lovingly caressed with spiced sautéed fresh vegetables and herbs and a good quality cheese. And now? You can get it in a package in 7/11 for a mere couple dollars. Same thing with Pizza.

Pizza was originally made by Italians and when I imagine it, I think of the Nonna’s: the grandmothers as they carefully mix the dough, knead it until soft and elastic, leave it on the stove to rise while they yell and chase after the kids then stretch it out to be a thin even base. Then they would put a lot of just one or two ingredients, such as prosciutto and mushroom or Roma tomatoes and pesto on top of a generous, but not too saucy layer of tomato sauce and baked in a wood burning oven until the crust is crisp and golden around the edges, and the cheese is ooey gooey melted and perfectly cooked. That’s what pizza is supposed to be.  Now, don’t get me wrong… when my hunger surpasses my judgement, I did and sometimes do eat some terrible things, but more often and most recently, I have turned up my nose to the horrors that can be done to fast food and have tried to refrain from taking the short cut.

This is my version of pizza, the way I like to eat it and although it’s not true to the original (as I don’t have a wood burning oven, although I can only dream of one) this is how I like it on a very thin crust, lots of toppings, a hit of garlic in the pesto and a little bit of cheese.

(The picture is deceiving because these are the ingredients for the both types of pizzas I made, stay tuned for the Chipotle, Mushroom and Bell pepper pizza next!)

Ingredients:

• 1 recipe of Spelt Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
• A few table spoons of Classic Genoese Pesto
• 1/2 can of Organic Crushed Tomatoes
• 1-2 Japanese Eggplants (the long and skinny ones are more tender than other varieties and taste more delicate on a pizza. You can use other kinds though if you’d like)
• 1 Zucchini
• 3 Tbsp of Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup of Goat’s Cheese (I used a cranberry one)
• A grating of fresh Parmesan Cheese
• Salt and Pepper
• 2 tsp of “Italian Herbs” : Dried Basil, Marjoram, Oregano, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme

1. Take your already stretched, home made pizza dough and spread some tomato sauce on it. I just put some plain crushed tomato but sometimes I simmer it with a bay leaf, add herbs, garlic and ground spicy sausage… I was just plain lazy today. Spread it on evenly, and don’t put too much sauce on it, or else it will be too wet and soggy.

2. Add a few tablespoons of pesto as much or as little as you like, and spread that on over top of the tomato.

3. Slice up some eggplant (aubergine) so that they’re 1/2 inch thick. Heat up a pan with a bit of olive oil and quickly sear the eggplant. Season with salt, pepper and some “Italian Herbs”. Toss to evenly coat. Set aside on a plate to cool.

 

4. Do the same with some zucchini (courgette).

 

5. Now, assemble. Place the eggplant on the pizza, then the zucchini, crumble on some goat cheese and shave on some parmesan. Finish it off by putting on dollops of pesto and then bake in a 400 degree F oven for approximately 30 minutes.

The test for a well made pizza: Hold it up and the toppings shouldn’t fall off… I think I heard that one from Chef Cat Cora.

Whole Wheat Rotini with Tomato Pesto Sauce and Veggies

I was invited out to the beach to spend the last sunny day of summer (basically) and I offered to pack a picnic! I didn’t quite know what to make, but I had bought some whole wheat rotini the day before and then I went rummaging in the fridge. I realized I had corn, zucchini, mushroom, onion and tomato sauce. I also had pesto that I had just made so I thought I’d make use of that too. This was pretty good on the beach, but I think it would be much better when it’s just made and hot. Pasta’s always this way I suppose. I think the others liked it…but one of them didn’t like mushrooms, and probably didn’t like zucchini either so that was …. yeah..

Anyway. Here’s proof of what I did. You don’t have to put the same vegetables in, you can probably put in bell pepper, eggplant, cauliflower florets… anything you like really. Just make it with love and serve hot.
 
It was a beautiful day on the beach. Saw a very strange tree along the way on UBC campus… it was a tree that grew partially in the ground, someone dug up then planted upside down. What you see are the roots of the tree all twisting and turning in the air. Pretty cool, eh?

Final Product:
 

Ingredients:
1 bag of whole wheat rotini (or any other pasta you’d like…gnocchi would be good, penne, whatever)
1 fresh Corn, de-husked and kernels cut off.
1 medium sized zucchini
1/2 white onion
2-3 mushrooms, chopped
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup Classic Genoese Pesto
2 cups of your favourite tomato sauce
A small handful of fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste.

1. Bring a pot of water to boil and salt the water.

2. Heat up your favourite tomato sauce to a simmer on low heat.

3. Dice an onion. First, slice the onion twice perpendicular to the stem but don't cut through all the way, leave the bottom intact, then lay the onion flat and cut lengthwise in small strips but not cutting all the way to the back of the onion. Then, cut across the grain from that… to dice them in to the pieces the size that you want. The part of the onion that you didn’t cut all the way, you can dice up at the very end. (Sorry, this is a really bad description of how to do this, but hopefully you can get it by the pictures)

4. Heat up a pan with a table spoon of oil and add onions.

5. Slice up the mushrooms according to the pictures. Slice in one direction then cut them the other direction…(this is really hard to say in words). Add this to the pan.

6. The water should be boiling by now, so add your dry pasta. Remember to stir it now and again and taste it in about 8-10 minutes to see if it’s done.

7. Chop the zucchini into 1/4” pieces. Again, follow the pictures. Cut the top and bottom of zucchini off and discard. Cut it in half lengthwise, Cut it in half again. Chop crosswise to get little chunks of zucchini. Add to pan and stir around.

8. Add about a half teaspoon of salt and add a dash or two of ground pepper. (I wish I had a pepper mill… freshly cracked is the best)

9. De-husk the corn and cut the kernels off and add to pan. Sautee until all vegetables go browned and the onion goes a little translucent.

10. Add some red wine to the pan.

11. Add the simmering tomato sauce.

12. Add the pesto

13. Mix it all up.

14. Drain the pasta and add to pan and toss to evenly coat each noodle.

15. Chop some basil and add to the pasta and mix.

16. Sprinkle with a little grated parmesan, drizzle with a little more pesto on top, and sprinkle with some basil for garnish.
 
I know this doesn't look very tomato saucy but I did this on purpose for packing for the beach because I didn't want the pasta to be sitting in a lot of liquid and getting soggy on the way. The amount that I said to put in, in the recipe will give you a thicker sauce. You can always put more or less depending on how you like your pasta.

All packed up for the beach. (Don’t do what I did… it wasn’t really picnic food… just enjoy it in the comfort of your own home while it’s steaming hot and the cheese is melting)

What did I pack on the picnic? This pasta, some cut up fruit (honeydew, watermelon and papaya), carrot sticks and cucumber sticks and in the “Chinese Take Out Container” were Chocolate coconut macaroons.