Jill's Very Veggie Pizza

I don't have a 'finished' photo of this pizza, and there's a very good reason for it.

I worked at a restaurant during college, but I never created dishes from scratch.  I just followed recipes, opened cans and cartons, and spent a lot of time cleaning up with my buddy Hobart.  When I bring foods to other people, it's usually a recipe I'm comfortable with--though not always.  Never before had I made a unique dish and just hoped it would turn out OK as I delivered it to someone else.  I didn't eat this pizza:  Jill did. [And I didn't snap a quick photo of the finished pizza because I was racing to get it to her while still hot.  I like to think I've got the 'make a pizza at home' thing down, but I'm hopeless with the pizza delivery part.]

When I offered to bring supper to her family one Friday Night Pizza Night, I asked Jill to tell me exactly what kind of pizza she liked.  I know exactly what I like on a pizza and I wanted to give Jill what she wanted.  She said "oh, I love veggies."  With no "I hate mushrooms and onions" or "I'm sensitive to gluten" guidelines, I was pretty much free to do whatever I wanted.  I figured I'd play a little bit by starting with a spinach crust, but keep it not too crazy extreme.  Spinach, feta, pesto, mushroom and artichoke all play well together, so that's what I did.

Jill's Very Veggie Pizza

1 pound spinach pizza dough (here's how I make my spinach dough)
1 clove roasted garlic (here's how I put up my garlic crop in roasted garlic form)
2 Tablespoons warmed olive oil
2 Tablespoons prepared pesto (here's how I put up my garden basil in pesto form)
2 Tablespoons Trader Joe's Artichoke Antipasto (or any jarred, chopped artichoke spread)
4 white mushrooms, chopped and sautéed 5 minutes until they give up their juice
1/3 cup feta cheese crumbles
3/4 cup shredded Italian cheese blend
Penzey's Pasta Sprinkle or other Italian seasoning blend

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  If you have a pizza stone, stick it in the oven to preheat as well.  If you don't, use a cookie sheet for now, but look around next time you're in a thrift store.  If your stone is cracked like mine, just shove the edges together, it still works fine.
In a small bowl, smush the roasted garlic clove into the warmed olive oil.  In another small bowl, stir the pesto and artichoke antipasto together.  Set the small bowls aside.
On an oiled piece of parchment paper, stretch out the dough into the shape that appeals to you--or that you think would appeal to Jill.  Brush crust with garlic oil.  Spread pesto/artichoke blend across crust.  Scatter mushrooms across surface of crust.  Sprinkle feta crumbles and then shredded cheese across the top of the mushrooms.  Sprinkle top with Pasta Sprinkle.  Bake for 5 to 8 minutes, then shimmy the crust off the parchment and directly onto the baking stone (or cookie sheet).  Continue baking for another 3 to 5 minutes until the cheese is browned and bubbly.  If you're taking this to Jill, throw it on a rack to cool while you're heading over.  If you're eating this at home, cool on a rack for a few minutes, then slice and serve.

This post is shared with the cool kids at the Farm Girl Blog Fest at Let This Mind Be In You, the Clever Chicks Blog Hop at The Chicken Chick, the Wednesday Fresh Foods Link Up at Gastronomical Sovereignty, What's Cookin' Wednesday at Buns In My Oven, What's In The Box at In Her Chucks, and Taste and Tell Thursdays.