October is National Pizza month and it’s no wonder why– approximately three billion pizzas are sold in the United States every year, plus an additional one billion frozen pizzas.
While there’s lots to love about pizza, at Gardenuity, we’re all about the toppings. In a poll of more than 6,000 US adults, pepperoni was voted as America’s favorite pizza topping, with other popular additions including mushrooms, onions, and extra cheese. Personally, we think no pie is complete without the addition of fresh herbs– from basil and oregano to chives and parsley.
We’re thrilled to announce our Pizza Garden, a gardening kit that will take your favorite dish to the next level. With everything you need to grow fresh, topping-friendly herbs, there’s never been a better time to experiment with your own signature pizza recipe.
The Pizza Garden Kit includes:
- Portable & reusable 5 gallon grow bag embroidered with “Pizza Garden”
- Pizza topping inspired herbs & veggies sent to recipient when they are ready to get growing
- Foundation Compost (1 gallon)
- Coir – expands to 3-4 gallons of total growing media
- Soil Primer
- Micro Nutrients
- PH Toner
- 30-day & 60-day feeding
- Seasonal Grow Pro Membership
Looking to try your hands at homemade pizza? Our senior vice president Lana Constantine has the recipe for you.
Lana’s Thin Crust Pizza
INGREDIENTS
CRUST
1 packet Flischman’s Yeast
1 ½ cups water (for hot rise needs to be between 100-110F)
3 ½ cups all purpose unbleached Flour
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Salt (sea salt or Kosher but needs to be fine)
¼ tsp sugar
SAUCE
1 jar Passata di Pomodoro
½ can San Marzano tomatoes
3-6 cloves garlic, grated
Sugar, to taste
Directions:
FOR CRUST:
- Activate yeast: combine yeast packet with water and sugar in a bowl. Wait to see foam and/or smells doughy aroma. This makes sure your yeast is alive.
- In another bowl, combine flour, salt and olive oil. Mix. Add in yeast mixture and combine with a fork. It will seem dry, but continue to work.
- Dust a countertop with flour. Knead the dough for approx. 5 min.
- Divide into 4 equal sized balls of dough. Use your finger to tap out the “fault lines”
- Put each ball in a separate air tight container and set aside in “warm” place for 45 min to let it rise. GO TO SAUCE & TOPPINGS WHILE YOU WAIT.
- After rising, try to let the dough “fall out” of the container lightly on to your flour dusted countertop. Let it sit for 1 min before lightly tapping out the dough into a disk shape. Then start spinning the dough “forward and to the side” like you are spinning a record. If necessary, carefully lift the dough and use your knuckles to thin out the dough, but remember to spin it.
- Take your wooden peel and add light dusting of semolina and spread around the peel. Place prepared pizza crust on top, add your desired toppings, check that your pizza moves on the peel. Open the oven and slide you pizza onto the Pizza stone. Baking should take around 7 to 8 min depending on your oven. Try not to open the oven door till it is ready.
FOR SAUCE:
Combine Passata di Pomodoro (should be already salted, otherwise add salt as desired) & San Mazano Crush Tomato. Stir in garlic and taste. If you think it tastes acidic, add ½ tsp of sugar.
VARIATIONS
Taleggio Cheese & Radicchio
Margherita
Gorgonzola & Pear
Heirloom Tomato & Mozzarella
Smoked Mozzarella & Sundried Tomato
TOPPINGS
Taleggio Cheese and Radicchio
Melt 5-7tbsp of butter. Shred ½ head of Radicchio and put in a bowl with salt, pepper and melted butter. Set aside.
Lightly spread taleggio on the dough, top with the Radicchio. Top with freshly grated Pecorino. After baking, add fresh pepper, truffle oil, and truffle salt (optional). If you can’t find Taleggio you can substitute with Fontina.
Classic Margarita
Use the Tomato sauce from above, lightly sauce the dough, add sliced fresh mozzarella broken into chunks(note: you should pat dry the pieces of cheese with paper towel so they don’t wet the dough too much- no one likes a soggy pizza) (special note: put a tiny amount of tomato sauce on each piece of cheese). Dust with freshly grated Pecorino. After baking, add fresh pepper, fresh basil and if you would like drizzle expensive olive oil (or red pepper infused olive oil)- use squirt bottle or something with small opening so you don’t over do it, and make the pizza to wet or oily.
Gorgonzola and Pear
Spread gorgonzola on dough, put very thinly sliced pear on top (do not overlap the pear). Dust pizza with Pecorino. After baking, add fresh pepper and high-quality honey.
Heirloom Tomato and Mozzarella
Prep Heirloom tomato: marinate heirloom mini tomato (slightly larger than cherry tomatoes) with Olive Oil, thyme, salt, pepper, and minced garlic.
Use the Tomato sauce you already prepared, lightly sauce the dough, add sliced fresh mozzarella broken into chunks(note: you should pat dry the pieces of cheese so they don’t wet the dough too much- no one likes a soggy pizza) (special note: put a tiny amount of tomato sauce on each piece of cheese). Add Heirloom tomato mixture (note: you should dry out the liquid using a paper towel). Heavy dusting of freshly grated Pecorino. After baking add fresh pepper, shredded fresh basil.
Smoked Mozzarella and Sun-Dried Tomato
Use the Tomato sauce you already prepared, lightly sauce the dough, add sliced smoked mozzarella peel off outside edges break into chunks (special note: put a tiny amount of tomato sauce on each piece of cheese). Add chopped sun-dried tomato (ones that were soaked in olive oil). Heavy dusting of freshly grated Pecorino. After baking add fresh pepper.