California is an agricultural hub and particulary here on the Central Coast, we are really lucky to have access to fresh, local produce. For me, a short drive down to Moss Landing once a week takes us through fields of fresh brussels sprouts and artichokes, along the foggy coastline and ends at one of my favorite produce markets.
Here you can also view the marina, go kayaking, shop for shells or visit excellent restaurants.
But my purpose in making the trip each week is to get amazing, seasonal, local produce at an unbelievable bargain.
This week, I picked up peppers, onions, mushrooms and squash. I admit, it's been a challenge to switch to buying seasonal vegetables, as I have to then find a recipe to use them in, rather than shopping to complete my planned recipe. But I'm adapting.
This week's culinary creation came via inspiration from a recipe I saw in Sunset magazine. I'm blogging from memory of something I saw while sitting in the dentist's office (probably trying to distract myself from the impending procedure. I hate dental work, don't you?)
Fresh, thinly sliced veggies are layered on to a large lavash bread, then baked at high heat for a short amount of time. I admit I was skeptical at first that the lavash would hold up, instead expecting a soggy mess. But it did hold up. I recommend slicing your veggies very thinly to avoid too much liquid escaping and ruining your meal.
The result is a very fresh pizza, with vegetables that are barely cooked but very delicious. The crust is very crisp and would make an excellent appetizer, although we ate them as a meal. If you are adverse to nearly-raw onion, I would omit them.
Ingredients:
1 lavash or other flat bread per person
1 yellow squash or green zucchini, thinly sliced
1 bell pepper, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced into half moons
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
3 mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup of herbed goat cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup good-quality grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste.
chopped tomatoes and arugula for garnish
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place your lavash bread on an inverted cookie sheet and brush with oil. Sprinkle garlic over the top and layer the squash, pepper, mushrooms and onion over it. Crumble the goat cheese evenly, and top with parmesan. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, slide onto a cutting board and top with chopped tomatoes and arugula. Salt and pepper to taste.
I hope you enjoy them, we have made them three days in a row because they are that delicious and easy!
