Monday, July 6, 2015

1st Quality Farm to Families Box Week 4: Honey-Thyme Roasted Pear Pizza w/ Goat Cheese &Pesto Pepperoni Pizza w/ Green Bell Peppers and Caramelized Onions

Just a note for all of my new readers:

1st Quality Produce launched their new “Farm to Families” box last week, which includes 10-15 pre-selected fresh fruits and vegetables that are in season (and all grown in California). The box retails for $29.99(or less if you order more!), but would cost over $45 if you were to get the same produce at the grocery store. Not only is all of the produce in the box fresh and sourced from California, but everything is gluten free of course! The produce does vary from week to week, guaranteeing that customers receive what is the most fresh. Not only does this box save you time from going to the store (everything is ready for you in the box when you go to pick up), but you also know where all of the produce is being sourced from. The “Farm to Families” box is an innovative and convenient way to shop for local farm fresh produce. 

The other day I was reflecting upon how much the gluten-free world has changed since I entered it six short years ago. I know that many of you may be new to gluten-free eating, recently been diagnosed with celiac disease, or maybe you have just stumbled on this blog and you still eat wheat. A simple fact that I think most of us can agree on is that pizza is an “all-American” staple. Most of us have grown up on pizza in some form or another, whether homemade, frozen, or delivery. I know that growing up pizza used to be a staple in my household. In fact, I would experiment with different toppings and flavor combinations, with some successes and flops. I ended up developing new combinations to keep pizza night exciting. However, I remember when I first went gluten-free I never dreamed that I would be able to have pizza that was a dough and that had a similar texture to wheat pizza. A few years ago I developed a gluten-free pizza crust that had a similar texture of wheat dough when it was “raw,” but when it baked I found that while appetizing, it didn’t have that “gluten-like” quality that I remembered. While that pizza crust I still consider to be a great thin-crust pizza recipe, I have been craving that traditional wheat style pizza crust, as well as the freedom to experiment with new flavors again. As a result, I have not only been experimenting with flavor combinations, but also with a new gluten-free pizza crust recipe. I know for myself that while going gluten-free has improved my health and caused my diet to be significantly healthier (including fresh fruits and vegetables like the ones found in the Farm to Families box), I also sometimes find myself in a rut. I think that when you go gluten-free it is easy enough to get comfortable with our successes or favorite recipes, and we soon become afraid to experiment in the process, knowing that with gluten-free baking (and cooking) there is sometimes more of a risk of failure. Due to this, I decided this week to be a little more adventurous.  
Two particular pizzas that I remember from my childhood were an apple dessert pizza and pepperoni pizza. While these two pizzas are still some of my most loved recipes, even the gluten-free versions, I experimented with different flavor combinations using this week’s 1st Quality Produce “Farm to Families” and discovered the sometimes the simplest recipes are the best (and that old classics can get a new twist). I have two pizza recipes for all of you this week, a Honey-Thyme Roasted Pear Pizza & Pesto Pepperoni Pizza with Green Bell Peppers and Caramelized Onions. To all of you who think that gluten-free pizza has to be ordinary or plain, I promise you that gluten-free pizza can be just as exciting as its wheat counterpart. 

1st Quality Produce Week 4 Box: 









So the real question then becomes now that you have all of this produce, what can you make for dinner? Besides the recipes below, you can use the bok choy in a stir-fry or in a frittata for an unexpected twist, cantaloupe can be used in smoothies or to make sorbet, corn can be roasted for a Garlic Chili Roasted Sweet Corn and Black Bean Salsa (see here), cucumbers can be used in cucumber lemonade or a Mediterranean salad, grapefruit can be used in a grapefruit cake or to make a grapefruit vinaigrette, romaine lettuce can be used for my Summertime Sweet Strawberry Salad (see here), strawberries can be used to make strawberry cake or strawberry lemonade bars, sugar snap peas can be roasted with garlic, salt, and pepper for a quick side dish, vine tomatoes can be used to make a homemade marinara sauce or for stuffed tomatoes, and yams can be grilled or made into oven baked fries as a substitute for potatoes.


Honey-Thyme Roasted Pear Pizza w/ Goat Cheese 


Prep time: 45 minutes (includes homemade dough prep-time)
 Cook time: 10-15 minutes Yield: About 6 servings 



INGREDIENTS

· 2 Bosc Pears peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (You can use whatever pears you have, but keep in mind that your pizza will get soggy if you use too juicy of a pear).

· 3 Tablespoons of Butter divided (I use Imperial)

· Heaping ¼ Teaspoon of Dried Thyme

· 3 Tablespoons of Honey

· Honey flavored Goat Cheese Crumbles (or plain if that is your preference or all you can find)  

· Gluten-Free Pizza Crust (I make my own, but you can use a gluten-free frozen pizza crust or a boxed mix as well)


DIRECTIONS

 

1. Preheat your oven to 325 °F if you are making my updated recipe for pizza crust (see below).  
2. Make the gluten-free pizza crust. (If you are using a frozen pizza or boxed mix, follow the directions accordingly. If you are using a box recipe make sure to par-bake your crust otherwise it will get soggy with this is recipe).  
3. Wash, peel, core, and thinly slice two bosc pears. 
1st Quality Farm Fresh Bosc Pears

4. After your crust is par-baked (do not par-bake a frozen gluten-free crust as it is already partially baked), brush or rub 2 Tablespoons of Butter (Imperial) into the pizza crust. 


5. Place the bosc pears onto the pizza crust, making sure to slightly overlap the slices so there are not any gaps.
6. Drizzle the pears with 3 tablespoons of honey. 
7. Sprinkle the pears with the heaping ¼ teaspoon of dried thyme.
8. Cut the remaining tablespoon of butter into small cubes and place on the pears. 
9. Top the pears with the honey flavored goat cheese crumbles.
10. Bake the pizza on foil (otherwise you will have a mess) in a 500 °F for about 10-15 minutes until your cheese is browned and the crust is golden brown. 
11. Let the pizza cool for about 4-5 minutes before slicing.
12. Enjoy!

 


Pesto Pepperoni Pizza w/ Green Bell Peppers and Caramelized Onions


Prep time: 45 minutes (including homemade dough prep-time)
Cook time: 10-15 minutes Yield: About 6 servings 




INGREDIENTS

· ¼ Cup of Tomato Sauce

· 2 Tablespoons of Pesto (I use my homemade version (recipe coming soon!), but you can use store bought)

· 6-7 ounces of Pepperoni (Make sure it’s gluten-free! I use nitrate free as well)

· ¼ of a Pound of Fresh Mushrooms

· 1 Green Bell Pepper

· 1 Yellow Onion 

· Olives (optional)

· 2 cup of Mozzarella Cheese  

· Gluten-Free Pizza Crust (I make my own, but you can use a gluten-free frozen pizza crust or a boxed mix as well).


DIRECTIONS

 

1. Preheat your oven to 325 °F if you are making my updated recipe for pizza crust (see below).  
2. Make the gluten-free pizza crust. (If you are using a frozen pizza or boxed mix, follow the directions accordingly. If you are using a box recipe make sure to par-bake your crust otherwise it will get soggy with this is recipe). 
3. Wash and cut the green bell pepper into strips. Chop the onion into thin slices.

1st Quality Farm Fresh Green Bell Peppers (and Onion from Week 3) 


4. In a small frying pan sauté the onion until translucent and caramelized in about 1 teaspoon of canola oil (or olive oil if you prefer).  
5. After your crust is par-baked (do not par-bake a frozen gluten-free crust as it is already partially baked), mix the ¼ cup of tomato sauce and 2 tablespoons of pesto and spread on the crust. 
5. Place the pepperoni, mushrooms, caramelized onions, and olives on the gluten-free pizza crust. 
6. Top with 2 cups of mozzarella cheese. 
7. On top of the mozzarella cheese put the green bell peppers strips. (You can put them underneath the cheese, but I like the green bell peppers on top for color). 
8. Bake the pizza in a 500 °F for about 10-15 minutes until your cheese is browned and the crust is golden brown. 

11. Let the pizza cool for about 4-5 minutes before slicing.
12. Enjoy!



Gluten-Free "Traditional Style" Pizza Crust  

Prep time: 45 minutes Cook time: 20-25 minutes Yield: About 12 servings 

INGREDIENTS

· 2 Teaspoons White Granulated Sugar

· 2 Cups Warm Water

· 2 Teaspoons Yeast

· 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

· 2 Cups White Rice Flour

· ½ Cup Brown Rice Flour

· 1 ½ Cups Potato Starch

· 1 Cup Tapioca Starch

· 2 Teaspoons Xanthan Gum

· 2 Teaspoons Salt 

· 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil 

· 2 Eggs



DIRECTIONS

 

1. Preheat your oven to 325 °F.
2. While the oven is preheating, in a measuring cup or small bowl place the water, sugar, yeast, and baking powder to proof for about 5 minutes. 

3. In a large bowl combine the white rice flour, brown rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, xanthan gum, and salt.
4. After the yeast mixture has proofed, add the eggs and olive oil and whisk.
5. Make a small well in the middle of the dry mixture and slowly pour the yeast/egg mixture, stirring slowly. 
5. After the dough/batter is combined let the mixture rise for about 30 minutes in a warm place in your kitchen. 

6. After 30 minutes have passed, on two baking sheets place a piece of parchment paper and spray with cooking spray (as well as a spatula). Place half of the dough on each baking sheet and spread into a round or rectangular shape using the oiled spatula. 
7. Spray a piece of plastic wrap and place on top of the dough, smoothing out the dough. Make sure to leave a little more dough around the edges to form a crust. 

8. Partially bake the two pizza crusts in the 325 °F for about 5-10 minutes until set enough that the dough no longer looks wet. Make sure not to bake the crust all the way though! 

9. Place your desired toppings on your crusts.
10. Bake for in a 500 °F for about 10-15 minutes until crust is golden brown. 

11. Enjoy!



Are you excited now? Order your Farm to Families fresh produce boxes today (Monday) through Thursday by 3 p.m. Boxes can be picked up Friday (July 10) at 1st Quality Produce, 2445 S. Gearhart St., Fresno. If you have an order of more than 20+ boxes, the boxes can be delivered to your location. If you order 11-19 boxes you only pay $26 and if you order 20+ you only have to pay $22 (get a group of friends, neighbors, or co-workers to order boxes too to get the discount!) For more information, or to order, call (559) 442-1932 (tell them the Gluten-Free Project sent you!) or email info@firstqualityproduce.com. This week there is a $5 off coupon! 



Until Next Time,






 



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Monday, July 6, 2015

1st Quality Farm to Families Box Week 4: Honey-Thyme Roasted Pear Pizza w/ Goat Cheese &Pesto Pepperoni Pizza w/ Green Bell Peppers and Caramelized Onions

Just a note for all of my new readers:

1st Quality Produce launched their new “Farm to Families” box last week, which includes 10-15 pre-selected fresh fruits and vegetables that are in season (and all grown in California). The box retails for $29.99(or less if you order more!), but would cost over $45 if you were to get the same produce at the grocery store. Not only is all of the produce in the box fresh and sourced from California, but everything is gluten free of course! The produce does vary from week to week, guaranteeing that customers receive what is the most fresh. Not only does this box save you time from going to the store (everything is ready for you in the box when you go to pick up), but you also know where all of the produce is being sourced from. The “Farm to Families” box is an innovative and convenient way to shop for local farm fresh produce. 

The other day I was reflecting upon how much the gluten-free world has changed since I entered it six short years ago. I know that many of you may be new to gluten-free eating, recently been diagnosed with celiac disease, or maybe you have just stumbled on this blog and you still eat wheat. A simple fact that I think most of us can agree on is that pizza is an “all-American” staple. Most of us have grown up on pizza in some form or another, whether homemade, frozen, or delivery. I know that growing up pizza used to be a staple in my household. In fact, I would experiment with different toppings and flavor combinations, with some successes and flops. I ended up developing new combinations to keep pizza night exciting. However, I remember when I first went gluten-free I never dreamed that I would be able to have pizza that was a dough and that had a similar texture to wheat pizza. A few years ago I developed a gluten-free pizza crust that had a similar texture of wheat dough when it was “raw,” but when it baked I found that while appetizing, it didn’t have that “gluten-like” quality that I remembered. While that pizza crust I still consider to be a great thin-crust pizza recipe, I have been craving that traditional wheat style pizza crust, as well as the freedom to experiment with new flavors again. As a result, I have not only been experimenting with flavor combinations, but also with a new gluten-free pizza crust recipe. I know for myself that while going gluten-free has improved my health and caused my diet to be significantly healthier (including fresh fruits and vegetables like the ones found in the Farm to Families box), I also sometimes find myself in a rut. I think that when you go gluten-free it is easy enough to get comfortable with our successes or favorite recipes, and we soon become afraid to experiment in the process, knowing that with gluten-free baking (and cooking) there is sometimes more of a risk of failure. Due to this, I decided this week to be a little more adventurous.  
Two particular pizzas that I remember from my childhood were an apple dessert pizza and pepperoni pizza. While these two pizzas are still some of my most loved recipes, even the gluten-free versions, I experimented with different flavor combinations using this week’s 1st Quality Produce “Farm to Families” and discovered the sometimes the simplest recipes are the best (and that old classics can get a new twist). I have two pizza recipes for all of you this week, a Honey-Thyme Roasted Pear Pizza & Pesto Pepperoni Pizza with Green Bell Peppers and Caramelized Onions. To all of you who think that gluten-free pizza has to be ordinary or plain, I promise you that gluten-free pizza can be just as exciting as its wheat counterpart. 

1st Quality Produce Week 4 Box: 









So the real question then becomes now that you have all of this produce, what can you make for dinner? Besides the recipes below, you can use the bok choy in a stir-fry or in a frittata for an unexpected twist, cantaloupe can be used in smoothies or to make sorbet, corn can be roasted for a Garlic Chili Roasted Sweet Corn and Black Bean Salsa (see here), cucumbers can be used in cucumber lemonade or a Mediterranean salad, grapefruit can be used in a grapefruit cake or to make a grapefruit vinaigrette, romaine lettuce can be used for my Summertime Sweet Strawberry Salad (see here), strawberries can be used to make strawberry cake or strawberry lemonade bars, sugar snap peas can be roasted with garlic, salt, and pepper for a quick side dish, vine tomatoes can be used to make a homemade marinara sauce or for stuffed tomatoes, and yams can be grilled or made into oven baked fries as a substitute for potatoes.


Honey-Thyme Roasted Pear Pizza w/ Goat Cheese 


Prep time: 45 minutes (includes homemade dough prep-time)
 Cook time: 10-15 minutes Yield: About 6 servings 



INGREDIENTS

· 2 Bosc Pears peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (You can use whatever pears you have, but keep in mind that your pizza will get soggy if you use too juicy of a pear).

· 3 Tablespoons of Butter divided (I use Imperial)

· Heaping ¼ Teaspoon of Dried Thyme

· 3 Tablespoons of Honey

· Honey flavored Goat Cheese Crumbles (or plain if that is your preference or all you can find)  

· Gluten-Free Pizza Crust (I make my own, but you can use a gluten-free frozen pizza crust or a boxed mix as well)


DIRECTIONS

 

1. Preheat your oven to 325 °F if you are making my updated recipe for pizza crust (see below).  
2. Make the gluten-free pizza crust. (If you are using a frozen pizza or boxed mix, follow the directions accordingly. If you are using a box recipe make sure to par-bake your crust otherwise it will get soggy with this is recipe).  
3. Wash, peel, core, and thinly slice two bosc pears. 
1st Quality Farm Fresh Bosc Pears

4. After your crust is par-baked (do not par-bake a frozen gluten-free crust as it is already partially baked), brush or rub 2 Tablespoons of Butter (Imperial) into the pizza crust. 


5. Place the bosc pears onto the pizza crust, making sure to slightly overlap the slices so there are not any gaps.
6. Drizzle the pears with 3 tablespoons of honey. 
7. Sprinkle the pears with the heaping ¼ teaspoon of dried thyme.
8. Cut the remaining tablespoon of butter into small cubes and place on the pears. 
9. Top the pears with the honey flavored goat cheese crumbles.
10. Bake the pizza on foil (otherwise you will have a mess) in a 500 °F for about 10-15 minutes until your cheese is browned and the crust is golden brown. 
11. Let the pizza cool for about 4-5 minutes before slicing.
12. Enjoy!

 


Pesto Pepperoni Pizza w/ Green Bell Peppers and Caramelized Onions


Prep time: 45 minutes (including homemade dough prep-time)
Cook time: 10-15 minutes Yield: About 6 servings 




INGREDIENTS

· ¼ Cup of Tomato Sauce

· 2 Tablespoons of Pesto (I use my homemade version (recipe coming soon!), but you can use store bought)

· 6-7 ounces of Pepperoni (Make sure it’s gluten-free! I use nitrate free as well)

· ¼ of a Pound of Fresh Mushrooms

· 1 Green Bell Pepper

· 1 Yellow Onion 

· Olives (optional)

· 2 cup of Mozzarella Cheese  

· Gluten-Free Pizza Crust (I make my own, but you can use a gluten-free frozen pizza crust or a boxed mix as well).


DIRECTIONS

 

1. Preheat your oven to 325 °F if you are making my updated recipe for pizza crust (see below).  
2. Make the gluten-free pizza crust. (If you are using a frozen pizza or boxed mix, follow the directions accordingly. If you are using a box recipe make sure to par-bake your crust otherwise it will get soggy with this is recipe). 
3. Wash and cut the green bell pepper into strips. Chop the onion into thin slices.

1st Quality Farm Fresh Green Bell Peppers (and Onion from Week 3) 


4. In a small frying pan sauté the onion until translucent and caramelized in about 1 teaspoon of canola oil (or olive oil if you prefer).  
5. After your crust is par-baked (do not par-bake a frozen gluten-free crust as it is already partially baked), mix the ¼ cup of tomato sauce and 2 tablespoons of pesto and spread on the crust. 
5. Place the pepperoni, mushrooms, caramelized onions, and olives on the gluten-free pizza crust. 
6. Top with 2 cups of mozzarella cheese. 
7. On top of the mozzarella cheese put the green bell peppers strips. (You can put them underneath the cheese, but I like the green bell peppers on top for color). 
8. Bake the pizza in a 500 °F for about 10-15 minutes until your cheese is browned and the crust is golden brown. 

11. Let the pizza cool for about 4-5 minutes before slicing.
12. Enjoy!



Gluten-Free "Traditional Style" Pizza Crust  

Prep time: 45 minutes Cook time: 20-25 minutes Yield: About 12 servings 

INGREDIENTS

· 2 Teaspoons White Granulated Sugar

· 2 Cups Warm Water

· 2 Teaspoons Yeast

· 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

· 2 Cups White Rice Flour

· ½ Cup Brown Rice Flour

· 1 ½ Cups Potato Starch

· 1 Cup Tapioca Starch

· 2 Teaspoons Xanthan Gum

· 2 Teaspoons Salt 

· 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil 

· 2 Eggs



DIRECTIONS

 

1. Preheat your oven to 325 °F.
2. While the oven is preheating, in a measuring cup or small bowl place the water, sugar, yeast, and baking powder to proof for about 5 minutes. 

3. In a large bowl combine the white rice flour, brown rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, xanthan gum, and salt.
4. After the yeast mixture has proofed, add the eggs and olive oil and whisk.
5. Make a small well in the middle of the dry mixture and slowly pour the yeast/egg mixture, stirring slowly. 
5. After the dough/batter is combined let the mixture rise for about 30 minutes in a warm place in your kitchen. 

6. After 30 minutes have passed, on two baking sheets place a piece of parchment paper and spray with cooking spray (as well as a spatula). Place half of the dough on each baking sheet and spread into a round or rectangular shape using the oiled spatula. 
7. Spray a piece of plastic wrap and place on top of the dough, smoothing out the dough. Make sure to leave a little more dough around the edges to form a crust. 

8. Partially bake the two pizza crusts in the 325 °F for about 5-10 minutes until set enough that the dough no longer looks wet. Make sure not to bake the crust all the way though! 

9. Place your desired toppings on your crusts.
10. Bake for in a 500 °F for about 10-15 minutes until crust is golden brown. 

11. Enjoy!



Are you excited now? Order your Farm to Families fresh produce boxes today (Monday) through Thursday by 3 p.m. Boxes can be picked up Friday (July 10) at 1st Quality Produce, 2445 S. Gearhart St., Fresno. If you have an order of more than 20+ boxes, the boxes can be delivered to your location. If you order 11-19 boxes you only pay $26 and if you order 20+ you only have to pay $22 (get a group of friends, neighbors, or co-workers to order boxes too to get the discount!) For more information, or to order, call (559) 442-1932 (tell them the Gluten-Free Project sent you!) or email info@firstqualityproduce.com. This week there is a $5 off coupon! 



Until Next Time,






 



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