Tarragon and Havarti Foccacia with Summer Vegetables
I know that it’s not summertime for you guys up in the northern hemisphere. Actually it’s not summer here in the south either but all of the veggies are coming in early and I just can’t help throwing in a recipe using some of them.
I feel like this winter has lasted forever. I even got to skip a month of it because I was in The States visiting family but it still feels like it dragged on so long. The point is, I am excited for summer weather to get here and it is finally warming up.
I’m still not thrilled about having a summertime Christmas though. That part is so messed up and I’ll probably never get over it no matter how long I live here. Well, at least I’ll be warm….Oh, and I just remembered that I will have berries.
I am kind of, sort of, a little bit of a lot obsessed with berries. My lifes ambition is to eat them everyday for the rest of my life, well that and cure cancer or something, but what really matters are the berries, right?
I love veggies too though, all veggies. I even like the ones with unfortunate reputations like brussels sprouts or eggplant. I’ve heard that eggplant doesn’t have any nutrients to speak of but I don’t think that’s true. If nothing else it at least have fiber and I think it has great flavor too. It goes so well with all of the flavors of this recipe.
I used zucchini, tomatoes, and eggplant with some dried tarragon and havarti cheese on top. This is a super simple recipe and it looks so elegant andcolorful. You can make it even easier by using ready made pizza crust if you want.
This would be perfect as an appetizer for a summer lunch or served as a side with your favorite soup. It doesn’t really matter what time of year it is though. You could use whatever vegetables that are in season in your area.
Ingredients
- 1 (1 pound) store-bought pizza dough or recipe follows
- 2 tablespoons fine cornmeal
- sea salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium eggplant, thinly sliced
- 1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
- 1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon dried tarragon, or fresh would be even better if you have it
- 1/2 cup shredded Havarti cheese
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
- 1 cup warm water
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 Tbs. active dry yeast
- 1 Tbs. sugar
- 2 Tbs. oil
- 3 cups flour
Instructions
- First make the pizza dough unless you are using store-bought. Combine yeast, sugar, and water in a medium mixing bowl and let sit for about 5 minutes to let the yeast react. Add other ingredients and mix until it starts to form a dough.
- Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 - 10 minutes. It should be smooth and resilient. Grease a medium bowl and place dough inside. Flip in bowl to cover all sides with oil and cover with towel or plastic wrap. Put in warm place to rise until doubled in size.
- Toss zucchini and eggplant in bowl with a few teaspoons salt and let sit for about 30 minutes while you prep everything else; then press between 2 towels to dry as much as possible.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 C) and spread or roll dough into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Spread cornmeal on large pan or baking sheet and place dough on top.
- Spread with olive oil and havarti. Alternate placing slices of veggies on top until evenly layered. Sprinkle parmesan, tarragon, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Bake for about 20 minutes until edges are crispy. Allow it to cool for about
Categories: Appetizers, Breads, Egg Free, Snacks, Sugar-Free, Summer, Vegetarian
