Farmer's market pizza

A sugar-free, gluten-free, delicious vegetable pizza.

I have to preface this posting by saying that I have been attempting to follow a gluten-free diet for the last week. I am not a person who follows crazy diet trends, but I read the gluten sensitivity symptoms and discovered they are similar to IBS. I was diagnosed with IBS and reflux disease in 2001, and after attempting the medication route (only to have an allergic reaction that nearly scared off my then-boyfriend/now-husband). Since then, I have been able to manage many of my symptoms with better eating habits.

Making an attempt at going gluten-free wasn’t too difficult because we already eat healthy. Rather than not consuming carbs, I knew I needed to find a way to substitute them or this “diet“ would never stick.

I'd love to hear from someone who has tasted the pre-made, gluten-free pizza crust. It looked rubbery and at $6.00 I decided I wasn't going to risk it, so I used this recipe to make my own. I doubled it and rolled the second crust in wax paper and stuck it in the freezer for another day.  I’m thankful I did because this crust is so good – better than any store bought crust I’ve ever had, gluten or not.

I've been making this farmer’s market pizza since last summer – it’s a great way to use all those fresh vegetables in a way that everyone loves (including my toddler).

We like this pizza so much that we make it all winter long substituting corn on the cob for fresh frozen corn and picking up a red pepper and a few asparagus stalks at the grocery store.

Sauce:

8 oz can tomato sauce

1 garlic clove minced or grated using zester

½ t Italian seasoning

Toppings:

6 asparagus stems

½ large red bell pepper

¼ c corn

1 small tomato

¼ red onion

Roast vegetables whole in 2 T olive oil at 425 for 10-15 minutes. When cooled, chop into bite-size pieces.

Top pizza with sauce, ½ c grated mozzerella cheese, the chopped vegetables and then ¼ c cheese (when it melts it helps keep the vegetables on the pizza). Bake 15-20 until cheese is melted and bubbling. Before serving, top with 1 T fresh chopped basil.