BLT Pizza

This weekend we started harvesting lettuce from our victory garden!  How exciting!  Soon we will be picking heirloom tomatoes and okra, zucchini and squash and herbs and... you get the picture.

Lettuce and basil and radishes ready for harvest!

Tomatoes and zucchini and okra coming on strong!

To celebrate our first harvest we decided to prepare this simple BLT pizza.  By using prepared pizza dough we saved a huge amount of time, but if you like, you can always prepare your own favorite pizza dough recipe and substitute it.  I like to use bottled ranch dressing on the pizza to avoid making this pizza too tomato-ey (is that a word?).

This makes a terrific light supper, but would be perfect for brunch too!

The Tiki in June!

BLT Pizza
serves 6-8

2 packages prepared pizza dough (I like Trader Joe's)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cornmeal
freshly cracked black pepper
 3/4 cup bottled ranch dressing (I like peppercorn ranch)
1/4 tsp ground dry thyme
1 small onion, finely sliced
8 oz grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 grated parmesan
6 slices of thick bacon
2 medium tomatoes sliced

1 cup chopped lettuce
6 fresh basil leaves chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 450F.  Grease a 9x13 jelly roll pan with olive oil, then dust with cornmeal and sprinkle generously with cracked black pepper.  Pat dough into prepared pan.

Spread ranch dressing over crust, sprinkle with thyme and then layer with onions.  Top onions with mozzarella cheese and parmesan.

Cook bacon in microwave (on a paper plate with paper towels) for 4-5 minutes until partially cooked.  Chop bacon coarsely and sprinkle over pizza.  Top with fresh tomato slices.

Bake pizza for 20 minutes until just golden and cheese is melted.  Remove from oven and cool for 5-10 minutes.

Toss chopped lettuce and basil with oil and vinegar, then put on top of pizza immediately before serving.