Pizza and Icecream

Well, I can't compete with Tetsuya...

Tonight we had a quick pizza and icecream scratch meal. I made a pizza sauce, and we topped our wholemeal mini pita breads as we pleased. I had one with kalamata olives, anchovies and red capsicum, and one with ham, pineapple and home-pickled jalapenos. And then I had some of that Gundowring toasted walnut and honey icecream, with a fresh fig drizzled with coffee blossom honey.

The pizza sauce recipe uses oven roasted tomatoes again - this is one of my favourite ingredients, I nearly always have some on hand. I often overbuy fresh tomatoes, not knowing whether we'll eat enough salads, or if the bloke will make enough sandwiches to use them all up. Every week I roast any that remain. They go in all sorts of things - substituting for tinned tomatoes, making simple pasta sauces, or just used as a side dish.

Recipes for pizza sauce and pickled jalapenos follow.

Recipe 1: Pizza Sauce
4 oven roasted tomatoes
1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon each dried oregano and basil
Peel tomatoes and squish well. Mix in other ingredients. Done!

Notes: This makes enough for 2 standard shop bought pizza bases or large pita breads.

Recipe 2: Pickled Jalapenos
20 to 30 jalapeno chillies
3 cups white vinegar
3 cups water
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
Choose chillies that are fresh, firm, and free of blemishes. Rinse well and allow to dry. Remove tops and slice chillies. Tightly pack the chilli slices into sterilised jars.

In a medium saucepan, combine the vinegar, water and salt. Bring to a boil and pour over the chillies. Seal the jars and store in a cool, dark place for at least 4 weeks before serving.

Note: This recipe came from a chap who goes by the name of "chilliman" at my chess site. He uses habaneros, and pickles them whole. If you do this, cut a couple of slits at the top of each chilli to let the vinegar mix permeate. Also, it's not a bad idea to wear latex gloves. Wiping your eyes after cutting up chillies is not a happy thing.