Zucchini, Harissa & Herb Pizza

Zucchini, Harissa & Herb Pizza

Alison Murray Baking, Gluten-free, Mains, Nut-free, Recipes, Vegetarian 14 Comments

Kam asked me last week if I wanted to be a farmer one day.

“One day?” I replied, “I thought that’s what I was doing already.”

Not quite understanding the question I prattled on about ideas on doing further study but in a horticulture field, homesteading and permaculture plans for when we buy property and the hopes of running workshops one day. He rephrased his question, revealing he was actually intrigued as to whether I would ever sell edibles at a farmer’s market; something I had never considered before.

Zucchini, Harissa & Herb Pizza

The whole exchange had me pondering for a while. While I’m not set up for it at the moment, I’d love to sell culinary or medicinal herbs at a farmer’s market. Or herb seeds. Or seedlings. Or all three. My work roster has changed recently and one of the first things I was really itching to do was to start visiting Kingston Farmer’s Market on the 1st Saturday of each month. Yes, the excitement is partly because I enjoy eating seasonally and locally (especially from my soil), but I also want to get to know the farms and their farmers while supporting their hard work.

I’ve got quite a collection of herbs growing at the moment for eating, medicinal purposes and pest reduction/beneficial bug attraction, but not enough to share around in large amounts. I’ve met a few market stall holders who started out with a strong desire to feed their families from small allotments, I love hearing these stories of how those dreams grew. I’m already an avid farmer’s market shopping  convert, these outings give me gorgeous produce as well as inspiration and drive.

I wonder if one day I might have my own stall? I’ve got so many dreams for one little Ally life! In the meantime, I’m enjoying the ease of heading to the backyard for fresh herbs and vegies. A great alternative to garlic bread, serve this smoky and spicy starter pizza with handfuls of gorgeous garden herbs.

And my top 3 for Fresh Friday this week?

Real Food Runner

  1. Going on long summertime walks to walk off the Christmas food belly!
  2. Watching my puppy be the most excited family member at opening up her Xmas present (and then breaking it within 30min)
  3. Looking forward to seeing my family in a few days when they come down to celebrate my 30th Birthday 😀

Zucchini, Harissa & Herb Pizza

Zucchini, Harissa & Herb Pizza
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
A great alternative to garlic bread, serve this smoky and spicy starter pizza with handfuls of gorgeous garden herbs.
Author:
Recipe type: Pizza, Sides
Cuisine: Egg-free, nut-free, soy-free, vegetarian, wheat-free. Gluten free with substitution.
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1 large pizza base (bought or see attached recipe below)
  • 2 tbsp harissa paste
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium zucchini
  • 100g goat's cheese (or other soft cheese, e.g. bocconcini, fresh mozzarella)
  • ½ cup chopped fresh spinach
  • ½ cup chopped fresh basil
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
  • sour cream or natural style yoghurt to serve (see notes)
Instructions
  1. Place a baking stone or round baking tray in oven and preheat oven to 180C. Place pizza base on a floured cutting board.
  2. Combine harissa and olive oil in small bowl, apply paste to pizza base evenly, leaving a 1-inch edge.
  3. Use a vegetable peeler to make thin zucchini slices, layer over the harissa on pizza base.
  4. Roughly tear or cut goat's cheese and drop dollops over pizza. Scatter spinach evenly over toppings and gently slide pizza onto baking stone or tray.
  5. Bake for 30 minutes or until crust is puffed and golden. Remove from oven and scatter fresh herbs over pizza. Cut into ⅙ths and serve immediately.
Notes
Too hot and spicy? Combine the 2 tbsp of harissa paste with 1 tbsp tomato paste and continue on with the recipe! Serve the pizza with sour cream or natural yoghurt to help cut through the spiciness.
Easy Spelt Pizza Base
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
An easy and fast dough recipe for a beautiful thick crust pizza.
Author:
Recipe type: Basics
Ingredients
  • 2 cups white spelt bread flour
  • 1 tsp instant yeast
  • 1 tsp unrefined caster sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • ¾ cup lukewarm water
Instructions
  1. Combine flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer.
  2. Add oil and water and mix with a wooden spoonuntil a soft dough forms.
  3. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until soft and pliable.
  4. Form a ball and place in an oiled bowl, rolling ball around to coat in oil.
  5. Place clingwrap or a tea towel over bowl and place in a warm spot for 30 minutes or until doubled in size
  6. After rising time "punch" the dough down to remove air, remove from bowl and knead dough for 1 minute.
  7. Form a ball of dough and then roll out into a large, thick circle.
  8. Add toppings and bake for 20-25min at 180C

Comments 14

  1. Ally, this looks absolutely amazing! I really need to get my hands on some harissa paste. I had some Harissa-infused pasta the other day from the Farmers Market I work for (I do their social media) and it was great.

    Have a happy and delicious New Year!

    1. Post
      Author

      Thanx for the comment Tiffany! I was going to add a harissa paste recipe to the post but I’m still not 100% happy with my home-made one so I’m keeping it under wraps for now 😀 I too have recently gotten a great paste from my local Farmer’s market, it was so perfectly spicy I used it in 3 different recipes in one week.

      Happy New Year to you too!

    1. Post
      Author

      Spinach on pizza is one of my favourite toppings too Jodye 🙂 Fresh spinach is amazing and I love it on this pizza particularly as it doesn’t take away from any other flavours.

    1. Post
      Author

      Thankyou foodlve, I’ve have checked out the website and will take it under consideration. Lots of yummy looking recipes there! The cherry points system looks a bit interesting, I haven’t come across anything like it on a food log portal before.

      Good luck with the site and many happy returns for the New Year 🙂

    1. Post
      Author

      Happy New Year to you too! About the stall, I hope so, though I think it’s a long way off yet 😀 One of my new year’s resolutions is to be a better gardener. So that’s one step!

  2. What an unbeatable flavor combination! I love the addition of harissa especially- I have a jar of it in my fridge that I just never know what to do with, so I’m thrilled to have such a delicious suggestion.

    Happy New Year! May your 2013 be even more delicious, beautiful, and blog-worthy! 🙂 It’s been a delight to have your thoughtful comments throughout the year, and I’m so grateful to have gotten to know you a bit through 2012.

    1. Post
      Author

      I’m a bit like that with Harissa too, I love it but am sometimes at a loss at what to use it with. It’s a very powerful flavour sensation and I think I have a lot of exploring to do with it still!

      Happy New Year to you too Hannah, I appreciate your touching comment so much and it’s been lovely to get to know you a little too this year. I’m really looking forward to following your foodie adventures through 2013 and beyond 🙂

    1. Post
      Author
    1. Post
      Author

Leave a Reply to Talaia @ Wholeyum.com Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rate this recipe:  

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.