16 June 2009

Three Heavenly Ingredients

My Basil


My three favorite ingredients are homegrown tomatoes, fresh basil and good mozzarella cheese. These ingredients on their own can be added to so many different foods to make a fabulous dish. But when you add them together...the taste is like heaven on earth.
My first experience with these three together was in the mid 90's at a place called Antonio's in downtown Ft Myers Florida. It was a cute little place with a gorgeous hand painted mural on the wall of New York City.
It was there that I tried a slice of tomato, basil pizza and I was hooked from the first bite. It was awesome.
After that, I started to grow fresh basil. Even now that I have moved north, I keep a pot growing in the bay window all winter long.
I have experimented with the three together on pizza dough, french bread, sour dough bread, pasta, plain old slices of Wonder Bread...you name it. It's a combination that I just love.
Tomato, Basil Pizza
Roll out favorite pizza dough recipe
Drizzle a little olive oil over dough
Spread 8 or so thin slices of tomatoes
Spread 10 or so fresh basil leaves
Top with 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
Bake according to your dough directions
Cheese should be slightly golden

No comments:

Post a Comment