Friends have been posting pictures of visits to pumpkin patches and apple orchards all month. They’re canning applesauce, apple butter, and pie fillings. When I think of fall crops, I don’t think of tomatoes, but we are have quite a harvest of Sweet 100 tomatoes this year.
Earlier this summer, we needed to move our raised garden bed. My husband emptied the table and deposited the dirt along the west-facing side of our house. Weeks later he discovered tomato plants sprouting from seeds that remained hidden in the soil. He and our younger daughter replanted and eventually staked those seedlings. Somehow the deer and other woodland creatures haven’t found the bounty growing in our side yard, and these plants have thrived.
For the past month or so, we’ve been enjoying the tiny fruit produced by these plants. The tomatoes are delicious on their own, but they also add a burst of sweet acidity to salads. We’ve tossed a couple of handfuls of whole tomatoes in a bowl and added chopped onion, a generous splash of lime juice, a pinch salt, and cilantro for a quick salsa crude, which has proven to be a tasty addition to our table on Taco Tuesdays.
As parents of busy teenagers, we have created some quick, easy, and relatively inexpensive late-night snacks, including a pizza that features these tiny tomatoes that we made this weekend after a marching band showcase.
Recipe
Ingredients
Artisan Flatbread, stone oven baked (Aldi)
Basil Pesto, Pesto alla Genovese (Aldi)
Fresh Mozzarella, Ciliegine (Aldi)
Pepperoni, sliced (We prefer slicing a stick of Margherita pepperoni. The meat cups and crisps in the oven).
Directions
Place the topped pizza directly on the rack in a 425-degree oven. Bake for 7-9 minutes.
Want a softer crust? Place the topped flatbread on a cookie sheet and bake for 9-11 minutes.
Drizzle pizza with extra virgin olive oil and enjoy!
Variations
Our family loves making homemade pizzas together. The flatbread I’ve mentioned here is a quick alternative to the dough recipe we prepare when we have more time. We often make a double batch of pasta sauce* and freeze the leftovers, so we always have some on hand. A family-favorite topping pizza combination includes bacon, pepperoni, and mushrooms, but we enjoy experimenting with different flavors and textures.
* When Travis and I got married, my mother-in-law gave me the family’s secret recipe for spaghetti sauce. Over the years, we have tweaked that recipe, and he came up with his own tasty variation.
Please note: this post does not contain affiliate links. I do not profit in any way from mentioning Aldi or their products in this post. That being said, we have noticed significant savings since we started shopping at this store. I share this so you, too, can enjoy a boost to your budget.
As always, thank you for reading.
