My hat is off to woman who go to work all day then come home and put together a meal for their family.  I complain about being pulled in too many directions and not having time to pull it all together.  How dare I complain.  My mother was that woman!  She worked full time with over an hour commute in gridlock traffic and yet she always had a healthy home made dinner on the table every night. Later, she started her own business. She no longer had the commute but after endless hours building her business she still never failed to make dinner a priority. Always freshly made. I truly believe that busy people get more done. Today, after a busy day, I realized I had nothing planned for dinner and nothing in the fridge. I often find myself in this spot.  Some of my best meals, my families favorites, are a result of throwing together what is easily on hand.  Today, we made BLT pizza.  

Summer is my favorite season for fruits and vegetables, especially tomatoes.  When I was a young girl I used to take the salt shaker out into the garden and eat the tomatoes right off the vine.  I’m guessing I probably rinsed them off with the hose but to be honest I can’t remember. I just remember sitting in the middle of the garden enjoying sweet juicy tomatoes that were warm from the midday sun. There’s no question when you have a ripe tomato in the peak of it’s season that tomatoes are a fruit.  This time of year it’s easy to know your grower by buying at the local farmers market.  They will be able to steer you to what is sweet or acidy.  The taste of a tomato is a good balance of acidity and sugar. The best tasting tomatoes have high levels of both. Heirloom varieties are truly more favorable than hybrids.  Not to mention, they are simply beautiful in their non conformity.

We’re cheating a bit here. Mary Clare and I stopped at Heinen’s to get ready made dough. Heinen’s dough is ready to use and made fresh. What we put together was simple and ended up being a huge hit.  Of course it involved garlic.  Shouldn’t everything!?  My husband loved it and wants me to buy a food truck and sell this pizza all over town. No thanks, once you realize how easy it is you won’t need me or my truck!  Everything I make he want’s to sell on a food truck.  I think my boys just want their very own food truck.

The garlic mayo makes for big flavor so if you’re cutting calories don’t do it here.  I’m just saying!

BLT Pizza Recipe:

• 1 lb ripe, multicolored (baby heirlooms) cherry tomatoes  cut into ¼ in. thick slices
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ cup Helman’s mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely grated 
• 1 pound center cut bacon slices cooked and chopped
• 1 pound fresh pizza dough (deli department at heinen’s)
• 1 tablespoon cornmeal
• 8 oz fresh mozzarella, shredded
• 1 cups baby arugula (We use about 2 cups. We like as much salad as pizza)
• 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce

Variation: Put and egg on it! Make a few sunny side up eggs and lay them atop your pizza. Trust me!

If you don’t want to turn your oven on because it’s a warm day simply grill the pizza outside. Just spray the cooking grates with non stick spray. Grilled pizza tastes even better.

Instructions:

• Place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of an oven and preheat to 450°. 
• In a bowl, combine the mayo, oil and garlic.
• Using well floured hands, pat dough into a ten inch circle.
• Place dough on a baking sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal. Pierce dough with a fork.
• Carefully transfer the dough onto the hot pizza stone. Bake for 5 minutes.
• Carefully remove pizza stone from the oven.
• Brush mayo mixture over crust leaving a 1 inch border.
• Top with tomatoes, bacon and cheese. Return pizza to oven for an additional 8-10 minutes or until cheese has melted.
• In another bowl mix the greens with a bit of the garlic Mayo to lightly dress. When pizza comes out of the oven top with the greens. If you are going to try my suggested variation, top the greens with a sunny side up egg.

Enjoy!

We are admittedly egg addicted. All day, any time…. eggs!  

If you use instagram or twitter be sure to follow me.  If you try any of my dishes and post pictures of them tag them #tableanddish or tag me @tableanddish so I can follow you. You can see mine at  Table and Dish on Instagram . I love seeing the variations my friends come up with.

 

Some of this post was originally posted HERE on 365 Barrington for Heinen’s