Pizza Night

Stop by the grocery store and pick up some refrigerated or frozen pizza dough, or drop in at your local pizzeria and see if they wouldn’t mind selling you a few dough balls. Then, head home and start cooking! Use jarred sauce and pre-shredded cheese if you’re in a hurry. Or, take the more leisurely route to homemade pizza by simmering up some from-scratch sauce on the stove stop and then getting out the box grinder to shred your favorite hard cheeses by hand.
Either way, the real fun of pizza night is in the toppings. In addition to the old standbys like pepperoni, sausage, onions, tomatoes, olives, and bell peppers, try out some fun new combos. Fresh basil paired with sundried tomatoes, thinly sliced prosciutto, and percorino-romano cheese is a gourmet combination that will leave you hungry for another slice. Or, try fresh oregano and thyme sprinkled over a grilled chicken, mushroom, and goat cheese pizza. And if you’re really feeling adventurous, whip up a plain-jane tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese pizza; then top it with a light salad of arugula and lemon vinaigrette. The crunch of pizza crust and the fresh verdant flavor of spring greens compliment each other deliciously.
And, don’t worry; if you’re really in a rush, you can always add a handful of fresh basil, a sprinkling of thyme, or a quick-and-easy arugula salad to a frozen pizza for a blast of flavor and nutrients.
Gardener’s Note: If you’re growing your own arugula, pat yourself on the back! And always remember: when harvesting arugula, you want to cut off only the top two-thirds of the plant so that new leaves will start to appear in two weeks.·