Quick Pizza Recipe

Are you ready for something besides Christmas leftovers? This is a dressed up frozen pizza. Wait before you turn me off! My two grown sons would never eat frozen pizza until I sneaked this one in on them. It's really good - I promise.

I'm writing this in the middle of winter when fresh herbs are hard to find here in the mid-south. You may have to buy fresh ones at the grocery but dried ones work well too.

Here's all I do to make a quick, cheap pizza that tastes like gourmet:

Fresh Herbs

*One frozen pizza - flavor is up to you. I used a store brand 3 cheese because Bill's heart diet does not allow the sausages
*Fresh, frozen or dried Oregano, fennel, basil, chives,parsley and thyme - all chopped. A little extra garlic powder or better still - fresh garlic chopped.
*Extra graded Romano cheese and extra Mozzarella shredded.

Add the extra cheeses -we like ours REAL cheesy! Sprinkle the herbs on top and bake. I find it takes at least 15 minutes longer than the instructions on the box. Take it out when it is brown and bubbly like the one at the top of the page. Below is what it looks like when it is ready to go into oven.

Pizza ready to bake

It's what to do with all that Basil time!

My work buddy, prayer partner and fellow plant addict, Beverly sent me this terrific recipe for mini caprese salad. I've made basil, tomato and garlic salad for ages but this takes it to a new level!

Here's her recipe:
Ingredients
1 lemon, juiced
1 small clove garlic, grated or minced
1 cup basil leaves, about 20 leaves, plus a few for garnish
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes, multi-colored if available, halved
1 cup bocconcini (bite-sized fresh mozzarella balls), drained, halved
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Combine lemon juice, garlic, basil in food processor or blender, process and stream in extra-virgin olive oil to form a smooth dressing. Combine tomatoes, cheese and dressing in a bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with a few torn basil leaves.

To see a zillion different ways to serve this yummy concoction clink the Pinterest link below
 http://pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=mini%20caprese%20salad&rs=ac&len=18

Thanks, Beverly!

Must Have Herbs

I bet you have been perusing those seed and plant catalogs like I have. Will spring ever get here? Well, we know it will and we will be out in the garden again, This post is about my "must have" list for the herb garden, Below are listed the culinary herbs that I would not want to be without. All but the Basil are perennial in my zone 6B garden. If I can ever get my shopping cart installed, these will be for sale on my website http://www.mimisgreenhouse.com/plants-available-for-sale/

          

Greek and Hot & Spicy Oregano

A must have for Italian dishes 

Hot and Spicy is exactly that - A kick of spice!  

Perennial Herb Zones 4-9

Full Sun  Part Shade

height 12-24 inches 

Sweet Basil

Asian or Italian dishes

Annual Herb Zones 3-10

Full Sun Part Shade

height 4-30 inches

Garlic Chives
Delicate garlic flavor
Perennial Herb Zones 4-8
White star shaped flowers
Full Sun Part shade

height 2 ft X 2 ft

Mint

Chocolate, Grapefruit, Lemon, Moroccan 

Perennial herb Zones 5-9

6 inches - 2 ft tall

Full sun  Shade

Rosemary Salem and ARP

flavor fish, chicken, pork, beans

One of the herbs I would never be without

Perennial Herb Zones 8-10

Full Sun Part Shade

Shrub 3 to 6 ft.