A Tale of Two Flatbreads

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times ~ Charles Dickens

During a recent Barnes & Noble "research" session, I happened across a recipe for Kale Cheddar Flatbread. (Linked here.) This was very fortunate because we had some beautiful kale in the garden that had to be used somehow. None of us were sure if we would like this ruffly cruciferous crop, so a pizza-like recipe seemed a safe bet.

Close-up of Blue Dwarf Kale after a rain

The flatbread recipe called for prepared pizza dough, but being the from-scratch stickler that I am, I made my own. This dough recipe turned out well, and I swapped in a bit of wheat flour to make it "healthy." Also, I suggest proofing the yeast with warm water and sugar before adding the flour, etc.. That way you can make darn sure that the yeast is active without wasting valuable ingredients. I've made one too many breads with bad yeast, so I've learned this the hard way.

So after assembling the kale flatbread, there was some leftover pizza dough. On a whim, I decided to make a pesto mozzarella flatbread, so we would have a backup if the kale turned out to be atrocious. (This used about 1/2 C. each of homemade pesto, mozzarella, and fresh tomatoes. A good sprinkling of chopped chives too.) The pesto flatbread has to bake a bit longer than the kale one because the ingredients have more moisture. Just look for the cheese to turn golden and check the bottom of the crust to make sure it isn't soggy.

Kale Cheddar is declared the winner

While both flatbreads were quite delicious, we were surprised that we liked the kale variety best. Kale tastes kind of like broccoli, so the flavor pairs well with cheddar. (Think cheesy broccoli.) So, that concludes my "Tale of Two Flatbreads," a fun experiment using some of our freshest garden produce.

As a bonus, here are a couple more pizza combos I've had success with in the past:

• Homemade Italian sausage + mushrooms

• Butternut squash purée (used like a tomato sauce) + chickpeas + red onions

What are your favorite pizza toppings? Have you tried any new ones lately? Please do share in the comments!

'Til next time,

Eva