The Dark Days Challenge has 120+ participants from all over the U.S. doing the best we can to eat local during the winter months. Our challenge is to prepare at least one meal a week using only Sustainable, Organic, Local and Ethical (SOLE) ingredients, and then blog about it. Weekly recaps of the participant’s meals will be hosted by the fine folks at Not Dabbling In Normal every Sunday.
I was home alone for lunch yesterday, and that gave me a chance to make one of my all time favorite foods: PIZZA! When I made those whole wheat sourdough pitas the other day, I was sure some of them would eventually wind up as pizza crusts. And when I found some local, raw milk cheddar cheese at Rivercity Co-op this week, I knew pizza was going to be on the menu sooner rather than later.
I harvested some fresh spinach and arugula from the garden for toppings, and got some of our oven roasted tomatoes from the freezer. Then I fried up a little of our locally sourced bacon. Instead of tomato sauce, I made some infused olive oil using our own garlic and herbs (basil, oregano and fennel seeds) and brushed that on the top surface of the pita.
pizza toppings (click on any image to enlarge)
I fired up the gas grill while I prepared the toppings. I like to use the grill as a makeshift pizza oven, and then cook the pizza with indirect (but very hot) heat.
pizza before cooking
The pizza cooked in about two minutes. The pita crust got crunchy and crisp, while the greens wilted and the cheese melted. The sweet/tart of the roasted tomatoes contrasted nicely with the salty smoky taste of the bacon and the spicy bitter of the arugula. And the melted cheddar had a mild creamy taste that topped it all off perfectly.
pizza ready for eating
With the pitas made with local hard red wheat, everything on and in the pizza except the salt and olive oil was local, and the majority of the toppings were organic goodies from our own garden. With pizza like this, who needs delivery – or frozen pizza!
Yummy! Homemade/homegrown pizza is a favorite here, too.
Wow, that looks great! Do you cook the pizza on a stone in the grill, or on the grates with the opposite side burner going?
I put it right on the cooking grates, with the opposite burners on. It was preheated to about 550°F, if the grill thermometer is accurate.
That pizza looks absolutely delicious! Delivery pizza is not even in the same class as a food! I’m inspired by your sourdough success and plan to get going on one myself.
Sharon, it was pretty easy to get the sourdough starter going. And so far I’ve managed to keep it going!
I am really loving all of these sourdough adventures. And the pizza looks great.
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