Homemade Heirloom Tomato and Basil Flatbread

>>Heirloom Tomato Basil Flatbread

The Recipe:

The Crust

Flour

Packet of Dry Yeast

Pinch of salt

1 Tb Olive Oil

The Toppings

Olive oil

Minced or pressed garlic

Pinch of salt

Pepper

Fresh tomatoes

Basil to taste

Mozzarella (not shredded)

Shredded Parmesan

Crust

In a medium size bowl add about 2 cups of warm water (not hot) to the yeast. Let sit for about 5 minutes. Stir with a fork. Add about 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil, a pinch or more of salt, and any other herbs you prefer. Add enough flour to create a dough that is not sticky but is not rock hard. You can achieve this with gradual additions of flour. Allow the dough to sit in a clean oiled bowl and rise for about 30 minutes to an hour. If you dont have time, dont worry, pizza crust does not rely on rising like a loaf of bread, just move on to the next step. Kneed the dough enough to bring it together. The best way to stretch the dough is to flour it frequently and let it hang. You can also just stretch it out flat on a greased baking sheet.

Toppings

For this deliciously simplistic flatbread I just spread a light layer of oil on the dough followed by a smearing of pressed garlic, salt and pepper. Next add sliced tomatoes, sliced mozzarella rounds, basil, and a dusting of Parmesan.

Enjoy!

Pickles!

>>Pickling Cucmbers

Fresh pickling cucumbers from the garden.

My canning jars.

Pickling herbs.

Peppers for pickling, fresh tomatoes, coriander to dry, and lots of dill for pickling.

You will need

1 quart jar with a lid
2-3 pickling cucumbers (as many as you can fit in the jar)
5 sprigs of fresh dill (or 1 Tbsp dry dill)
2-4 cloves of garlic (or garlic scapes), crushed and minced (we use 4)
3 Tbsp white distilled vinegar
½ - 1 Tbsp kosher salt, to taste (I use ¾ Tbsp)
distilled or filtered water – enough to top off jar (where to find water purification systems)
20 black peppercorns, optional (find high quality peppercorns here)
¼ tsp red pepper flakes, optional (find high quality chili flakes here)
Directions


Cut pickles into discs, spears, or sandwich slices and add to the jar with all ingredients except the water. Once everything is in the jar, fill to the very top with distilled or filtered water and screw lid on very tightly. Shake the jar up to distribute flavors and leave on your countertop for 12 hours. Shake again and turn upside down for another 12 hours, making sure the lid is screwed on tightly to avoid leakage. After pickles have sat for a total of 24 hours go taste your creation – you won’t believe how good they are! Store in refrigerator and enjoy within a month for maximum freshness.
Notes from the kitchen


Don’t limit yourself to pickled cucumbers, use this recipe with just about any vegetable. We omit the dill and use the recipe for okra, bell peppers, and more. Adjust the spices and be creative – there are so many possibilities.


At times we have eaten up our pickles within a few days – and hate to waste the well-seasoned liquid mixture – so when the pickles disappear too quickly, we reuse the liquid mixture by packing more fresh cucumbers in the jar. We add a touch more vinegar and top off with more water.

The final product:

Fresh Peperoncinis!