Pizza

Date: Mon, 23 Aug 93 13:18:02 CDT
From: <U33754%UICVM@UIC.EDU>

Pizza (Pissaladiere -- for the French word for tomato-less and
cheeseless pizza, ... I still think tomato slices would be a good
addition, and tomato sauce might work as long as it's not too liquidy.

1 tbsp. baker's yeast
1 tbsp. Sucanat
1 cup warm water

2 cups unbleached white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup corn flour (approximate)

3 tbsp. dried tomato bits
1 cup water
1 1/2 tsp. salt

filling can be slightly steamed veggies of your choice, i used:

1 red capsicum (a red "bell pepper") this is the decorative topping
1 orange banana pepper (hot) this too is decorative (hot) topping
4 small eggplant (2 medium or 1 large)
water

3 small leek (2 medium or 1 large)
water

1 1/2 tbsp. capers
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar (approximate)
10 basil leaves
salt
cracked black pepper

Preparation: Turn oven to 400 F, place red capsicum (cut side down), orange
banana pepper, and sliced eggplant in oven. Use pie pan for the eggplant,
because then you can add a little water to it as needed, as it will seem dry
after some time in the oven. These cook for about 30 minutes.

Prepare a spring form cake pan with a bit of oil or Pam, and dusted with corn
meal or corn flour. The diameter is about 8-9".

Meanwhile, combine baker's yeast, Sucanat and warm water, place in
warm place so it will "grow" and get foamy. Then, combine 3 cups
flour and salt, set aside.

Slice leek and saute in water, until carmelized (preferably). Simmer
more water in another pot and add dried tomato bits, simmer a minute
to get soft, drain but retain the water which will be tomato-colored.
By this time the yeast will have "grown", pour this in with the 3 cups
of flour and salt, add tomato bits, and 1/2 cup of the tomato-water.
Stir. Prepare a flat surface with corn flour, kneading some of this
into the dough to get it ready to roll out. Roll out into a wide
circle, about 5 inches wider than your pan. Be innovative in picking
this up and placing it centered in your pan. The extra width will go
up the sides of the pan. (I cut a circle about 1" wider than the pan,
dusted it well with the flour, then rolled it loosely to pick it up
and place it in the pan, then unroll, then add the rest of the dough,
packing it up along the sides).

Place this in a warm spot, and fill with the cooked leek, and salt
lightly. Take eggplant out of the oven, layer it over the leek,
sprinkle with balsamic vinegar, add a layer of basil leaves, then a
second layer of eggplant, sprinkle with salt and cracked black pepper.
Sprinkle with capers, letting some get embedded into the dough. As
you are doing all this, the dough will be rising. Dot with *nofat*
cheese (optional). Slice the cooked red pepper and banana pepper
lengthwise into 8 to 12 strips each. Peel the peppers if you can
(paper bag technique may work), may be easier to peel the banana
pepper before you slice, and peel the red pepper after you slice.
Assemble pepper strips, alternating the two kinds, in a sunray
pattern. Sprinkle everything with the remaining balsamic vinegar.
Dot center with whatever you have left, a bit of *nofat* cheese or a
basil leaf.

Bake 20-30 minutes. Slice and serve. Voila! For anyone wanting to
make their own modifications on this "pizza", your ideas would be much
welcomed.