Farmers Market Breakfast Pizza

Brimming with bacon, pork sausage, & farm fresh eggs, this hearty Farmers Market Breakfast Pizza is sure to be a crowd-pleaser...

This recipe first appeared on the Bridgeport Farmers Market Let's Get Fresh site.

I am on a mission once again this outdoor farmers market season to show you all how you can create a delicious recipe purchasing mostly locally grown & raised produce and meats at your local farmers market. I started this locally inspired recipe series last summer, and I am thrilled to be continuing the series this year as well. Each month I will be sharing a recipe here to the blog inspired by and featuring some of my own personal favorite fresh & local finds from my local market. 

For the month of July, I am sharing the recipe for this hearty & tasty Farmers Market Breakfast Pizza. Yes, I did say a breakfast pizza! I mean, why should just lunch & dinner get to have all the pizza fun? ;)

Peach, Basil, & Caramelized Onion Homemade Pizza

It is prime peach season around here.  The local farmers markets stands are starting to brim with bags and bushels of the juicy fruit.  Lately, I have had an obsession with making homemade pizza.  I blame my nifty little bread maker and how incredibly easy it has made it for me to make pizza dough from scratch at home.  I love just dumping in the ingredients and then walking away for about an hour and a half. ;)  So combine my new found love of from scratch pizza and the seasonal freshness of local peaches, and you will find my inspiration for my Peach, Basil, & Caramelized Onion Homemade Pizza.  Plus, I needed an excuse to do something fun with the peach white balsamic vinegar I got in my June Foodie Penpals package. ;)

What you will need:

For the crust-

1 cup of warm water

2 tbsp of olive oil

1 tbsp of honey

3/4 tsp salt

2 cups white flour

1 cup wheat flour

2 tsp active dry yeast

1-2 tbsp of cornmeal for dusting 

* I adapted my pizza dough recipe from the one found HERE.

1/2 large onion, thinly sliced

1 tbsp of olive oil, then 2-3 more tbsp to brush on the dough later

1 tbsp butter

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp of sugar

3/4 cup peach balsamic vinegar (regular balsamic vinegar can be used as well)

1/2 cup of fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

1 large peach, pitted and sliced thinly

8 oz of fresh mozzarella, sliced

Start your dough in the bread maker about an hour before you are wanting to start putting together the toppings for your pizza.  Make sure you dump in the wet ingredients, then the dry ingredients just like in the order that I have them listed above.  Set your bread maker to the Dough setting and let it go! :)

When your bread maker has about a half hour left on it for your dough, go ahead and start the toppings for the pizza.  Heat the olive oil and butter in a small frying pan over medium heat.  Once butter is melted, add your thinly sliced onions.  Let the onions hang out, mixing and turning them occasionally.  Do not raise the heat above medium because you think it will make them cook faster.  You are wanting them to caramelize and get sweet and get brown.  But you do not want them burnt.  This should take about 15-20 minutes total to happen.  After they have cooked for about 10 minutes, add the sugar and salt to the onions and continue to cook.

While the onions are cooking down, slice your peaches.

In the end, this is what your caramelized onions should look like.  Nice color, huh? ;)

After you have sliced your peaches and while the onions are still caramelizing, start your balsamic reduction.  The reduction is pretty easy to make, but you need to make sure to stir and check it often so it doe not reduce too much and become too thick.  Just heat the vinegar over medium heat, allowing it to come to a boil and stirring often.  Keep checking it and stirring until it is reduced down to about a 1/3 of a cup.  Next slice your fresh mozzarella into about 1/4 inch slices.

Once the dough is ready, take it out of the bread maker and dust it with the cornmeal.  Work it onto a smaller baking sheet or a pizza stone or pan.  Brush the crust with the olive oil.  Then add your mozzarella, peaches, and caramelized onions.  Drizzle the whole thing with your balsamic reduction.  You will bake your pizza at 425 degrees for approximately 20 minutes.  When there is about 5 minutes left in the baking time, sprinkle your sliced basil leaves over the top and continue baking it for the last few minutes.

I really love this pizza for it's combination of sweet and savory.  It is a nice change of pace from our usual red sauce, pepperoni, and cheese.  And you cannot beat the freshness of the peaches and basil this time of year.  :)

Summer Blog Challenge, Day 31- Striving to be an Eco-Friendly Family

What are some eco-friendly things that we already do?  Here is a little rundown...

• Shop the local farmers market as much as possible.

• Recycle, Reuse, and Repurpose!  We are so lucky to finally live in an area that has curbside recycling.  It makes recycling so much more easier and convenient.  Of course, before we throw out or recycle anything, I always ask, "Can we use it for something else?". Pinterest has given me so many ideas lately on ways to upcycle items I would probably normally throw away or recycle.  
• I. love. used. books.  I can't even remember the last time I bought a brand new book.  My favorite used book store is Half Price Books, but unfortunately the closest one to me now is about 2 hours away.  So, I shop the library's used book sales and browse books on half.com.  Buying used books not only lowers the demand & production of new books, but gives someone else's old book a new life. :)  And I have recently started to delve into the world of Kindle books since I downloaded the app to my cell and laptop.  But I still like the feel of an actually book in my hands, the turning of the pages.
• I am an avid consignment shopper.  The thrift store, consignment shops, yard sales...  I try to find what we need gently used before we buy brand new.  This especially applies to clothes and baby items lately.  ;)
• I try to buy earth friendly cleaning products as much as possible, and have recently been trying to make my own cleaning products. Not only are they gentler on the environment but also save us money.  My favorite cleaning discovery so far?  White vinegar in a spray bottle and a box of baking soda with holes punched in the top for shaking.  I use this mainly in the bathroom in the tub and the sink.  Just sprinkle on the baking soda and spray with the vinegar.  Let it sit for a few minutes, then scrub and rinse!

Want to know what my most favorite eco-friendly thing to do is? Click here.

What are some of your eco-friendly habits?

Summer Blog Challenge, Day 29- "How To" Become a Better Locavore

Today's blog challenge is to write a how-to post.  For today's post I thought I would share with you my five simple steps on how to become more of a locavore.  In our quest to feed our families healthier food, to be kinder to the environment, and to support our communities, more of us are striving to buy and eat local more often.  But it is not always easy. 
Trying to become a locavore may seem daunting, but here are five easy steps that you can take now towards becoming one:


1.  This is probably the easiest and the most obvious, but shop your local farmers markets!  Not only are you buying local, but you can also talk directly to the farmers, producers, and artisans of what you are purchasing right there and then.  You can ask them about their growing methods, how they make their delicious jams, and where they raise their honeybees.  And often times, vendors are more than happy to let you have a taste of what they have on hand, so you can try it before you buy it. ;)

2.  Start small.  After visiting the farmers market, go through your fridge and pantry and choose two to five items you can start buying local immediately.  Local eggs and honey are a great place to start.  My family and I try to buy at least one local meat every week at the farmers market.  One week we bought flank steak.  Last week we bought ground beef. This coming week we are going to try chicken.  Replace your dried herbs with herb plants.  


3.  Start a garden of your own.  You really can't get more local than your own backyard, and you do not have to have a lot of land to start one.  Many vegetables do well in containers on patios.  If you have a smaller backyard like we do, try a small raised garden bed.  We planted a 3x3 foot bed this summer and are growing heirloom tomatoes, poblanos, and jalapenos.  Take it one step further and buy your vegetable plants at the farmers market or a local greenhouse instead of the big chain stores.

4.  And continuing on that thought, forgo the big chain stores and restaurants for smaller, locally owned businesses.  Choose to spend your money at one of these businesses at least two to three times a month.  Buying local means that your money is going right back into the local economy and the community.


5.  Visit a local farm.  I find that you are more apt to buy local (even if it means spending a little more) if you have seen where the food is actually coming from.  Most farmers and vendors welcome visitors and give tours.  I would actually be a little leery of a farmer who wouldn't want their patrons to come check out their facilities.  And bring the kids!  Children loves animals and getting dirty.  And bonus?  You will be lighting the spark in a future generation of locavores! :)