personal sprouted quinoa crust pizzette
Nothing in the summer satisfies in the way that a crispy crust with fresh, piquante toppings can fill the belly and the soul. This little pizzette takes some pre-planning; you must plan at least one day before that you want this kind of culinary healing. That said, the crust freezes well if you want to have some on hand for emergencies of body and spirit. I’ve included here some recommended toppings, but anything you have from the garden, market, or pantry is perfect. The recipe is easily doubled, to make either two pizzettes or one large crust.
Ingredients
1/2 cup quinoa, soaked for 24-36 hours
1/8 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp dried herb or spice (I like mushroom powder or any green herb, but adjust to your needs)
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbs cassava flour
2 tbs oat flour
oil
Method
Preheat oven to 350F. Put a piece of parchment on a baking sheet and spray or spread a little oil. Warm this in the oven while it preheats.
Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender until a consistent puree. You will think this is too thin to be a crust. This is just right.
Using a spatula spread onto warmed baking sheet at about a 1/4 to a 1/3 inch thickness in the shape you desire. This is not an exact science, but make sure there are no thin or weak spots.
Put into oven and deal with your toppings for about 12-18 minutes. Using a spatula, flip this as it begins to brown lightly at the edges and is firm. Continue to cook for about 7-10 minutes depending on how crusty you want your crust.
Add your toppings and finish by turning the oven up to 450F for 5-10 minutes, keeping an eye on the crust to ensure it does not burn.
Slice and enjoy. You may wish you’d made double for yourself.
For this pizzette, I blended a whole bunch of sorrel with garlic and onion to make a paste, dolloped some cottage cheese (since I did not have ricotta), and put on a few homegrown sunnygold tomatoes and chive blossoms. This also works well with red sauces, pestos, or even spreads of hummus or butternut squash. Toppings of cheese, mushrooms, olives, herbs all are delicious. Serve with a lovely side salad with a bracing dressing and a glass of your favorite wine.
