It seems that everyone in the country was sure we were going to be covered with snow. That would have been an event to remember. However, there was no snow at sea level here. At sea level all we had were big city reporters standing on street corners waiting for snow. We have had a bit of snow from time to time. A flurry might happen every five or ten years. This time inches were expected and if that storm from the Pacific had met the weather system coming from the north it would have happened. "if wishes were horses...". One was too fast, the other too slow. So, cold as it was, there was no snow.
The Hellebores (above) were spared. The cyclamen survived and all is right in the garden. Cold, slow, but still OK. I am taking the next step in my onion project. As I said before the sets had been planted and now they are about ready to be trimmed back to four inches. The seeds I planted in flats got to be six inches high; they were trimmed and planted. Only half got into the ground before the rain storm came. We had heavy rain, wind up to 50 mph and it was very cold (for here 27 degrees is very cold). The weather is getting better so the rest of the onions-from-seed will be planted soon. One of the things I learned was the onions need cold for the green part to grow and heat for the bulb to form. That may have been part of what was wrong last year. We never did get summer. Let us hope we do better this year.
Since nothing was pressing in the garden I turned on the oven. There is a trip in the offing and I wanted to prepare. My young grandson, Ed, is a pretty good sportsman. He plays football, basketball and baseball. He made the All Star basketball team and now his baseball team, Delta Dawgs, is going to Arizona to play. He is ten years old. This grandmother can only wonder at how things have changed. I played on a vacant lot with some friends, and no coach.
So, in a car with three kids for the ten or so hours it takes to get from the San Francisco Bay area to Phoenix requires fuel... both for the car and for the kids There are three of them, Ed, his big sister, Tay (who's softball team, Lady Blast, just won their Championship and will be going to Oklahoma in July) and their little brother Bobbie, who, heaven help us, is showing the same potential.
Recipe
To feed these kids in between restaurant sops we shall have Pizza to Go. It is a flavored soft bread dough "pie" filled with all the flavors of Pizza hidden in the middle.
Pizza to Go
The dough:
In a large bowl place:
2 1/2 cups flour, preferably bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast
1/2 cup instant potato flakes
Stir to mix well, then add:
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons salsa (you will need just a little more for the filling later )
1 cup water
Mix well and then knead this with the dough hook, if using a stand mixer, or with your hands. Continue until the dough is sticky but elastic.
Gather into a ball and cover. Set in a warm place for one hour. By this time the dough will probably not have risen much, if any, but it will be soft, relaxed and kind of puffy.
Gather into a ball. Cut into 8 wedges. Cut each wedge in half and roll out to a 6 inch disc. The dough should be very thin. Brush one disc with a thin film
of salsa. It is OK if a lump of tomato or onion remains on the dough but avoid any excess liquid.
On top of the salsa add your pizza filling. This can be any of your favorites, but the sequence is important. Place a layer of meat on the bottom dough disc, then cheese and anything else on top of that. Another layer of meat should top that. This keeps the cheese from melting into the dough and disappearing.
Top with the second disc and crimp to close the edges. Place on a parchment lined sheet. Cover with a clean tea towel and let rise for about 30 minutes. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve while still warm and the cheese is still melted.
To rewarm these little pies, wrap in aluminum foil and place in a 300 degree oven until the cheese is soft.
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