Tomato Tapenade Pizza

It finally happened. After a little more than a year of marriage I made a meal my husband loves. No kidding. This is a landmark day; one small step for me and one large step for us. I am running the victory lap and triumphantly waving my flag of success. This was no small feat. Merging our two diets is like trying to mix oil and water, democrats and republicans or Sonny and Cher. All forces of nature work against the union. I am a vegan with fish and he is fast food with a soda. I am brown rice with oat floor and he is corn syrup with starchy preservatives. I am fruit with sorbet and he is cake with whip cream. See what I mean. What is a wife to do? Our taste buds are not only different, but from opposite ends of the universe. Fortunately, God made pizza…or…some brilliant, short, hairy, dark-haired, Italian speaking man with a mustache did and I am truly grateful. Who knew crusty tomato sauce with toppings is itself an international language of love. It knows no borders, cultures, households, or cooks, only stomachs. All you have to do is make it and they will come – they people or a person that is. Could it be that simple? Ah, one small step for me and one large step for us. Here you go love…

Ingredients

• 2 ready made French Meadow Bakery spelt pizza crusts
• 1 6.35 oz jar of Meditalia sun-dried tomato tapenade
• ½ cup chopped sun dried tomatoes*
• ¼ cup pine nuts (optional)
• Four artichoke hearts
• 1 8oz carton chopped mushrooms
• ½ medium size yellow pepper sliced
• ½ medium size orange pepper sliced
• 2 green onions or scallions sliced
• ¼ fresh cilantro leaves chopped (optional)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ¼ tsp grated black pepper

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375
• Add a thin layer of tomato tapenade to each pizza crust (should have about ½ cup leftover to cook with vegetables)
• Sprinkle sun dried tomatoes over each pizza crust
• Sprinkle pine nuts over each pizza crust
• Separate the separated stems of two artichoke hearts and place on each pizza crust
• Sprinkle black pepper on each pizza crust
• Sprinkle fresh chopped cilantro leaves over each pizza
• In a frying pan stir together olive oil, peppers, mushrooms, green onion and ½ cup tomato tapenade over low heat for a couple of minutes. Do not over cook. Then spread mixture on top of each pizza (there may be leftover mixture).
  

Bake pizzas at 375 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. Cool and serve. Good warm or cold.

*This pizza has a bit of a bite. If too much for you leave out the sun dried tomatoes and see if that tames the flavor down to your liking.

Enjoy,

Maria