Pesto Pizza

Tonight is the first time I have made homemade pizza since Emily was born. Too long!!! She is asleep in the swing and Gracie is helping me roll the dough. What fun.
It's a pesto pizza tonight--topped with cherry tomatoes.

Thank goodness for frozen pesto (made before Emily was born.) Unfortuantley, I am down to my last few tablespoons and I will be hard pressed to find good basil this late in the year. PLEASE let me know if you see some big bunches around town for another batch.

This pesto batch was two HUGE bunches of basil with one bag of toasted pine nuts, some garlic and enough olive oil to pull it together. Scoop, freeze, and bag. Then just pull out enough for your recipe. Four or five for a pizza.

Batch Cooking :: Ratatouille

Three for the "price" of one. This is really this first time I have tried batch cooking, even though I have been intrigued with the idea of cooking just a few days a month, freezing prepped dinners and then simply thawing and cooking when the time comes. A perfect solution for an abundance of veggies from the summer's harvest/farmer's market. A perfect solution for a mama with another little one on the way.

This batch is Ratatouille. Simple roasted eggplant and other summer veggies. In the time that it takes to make one dinner, add a little extra for chopping, we were able to make not one, but three batches of Ratatouille. One is in the oven, two are in freezer bags. Just add chopped tomatoes and roast.

Ratatouille:

8-10 japanese eggplant

8 Romanesco zucchini

4 bell peppers

chopped tomatoes added at the end of roasting

olive oil

thyme

oregano

salt and pepper "Not too much pepper mama"

Baked for 30 minutes at 400 degrees (my new standard for everything)