Finally a Daffodil

It's been a long time acomin'.  We had a huge amount of snow with few thaws this winter.  Today is our very first daffodil.

There have been some years when we are past-peak at this time in April.

Early Spring Flowers

Finally we have a few spring flowers.

This has brought out the honeybees.

They have been scarce in recent years, so we're glad to see them!

Alas, the snowdrops sit on the north side of a boulder.  They have just appeared.

It's Pizza Night

We were terribly disappointed when the world's greatest pizza place, Nina's, in Norwich, NY, was sold.  The new owners changed the recipes and the ingredients.  The new one is too salty to eat.  (The last one I bought I gave to the chickens.  It was inedible.) Also, the cheese does not have the right texture - more like American cheese.  Sad.

The original owners opened a restaurant about 1 1/2 hours away from home.  A couple of times a year we go there and enjoy a meal and stock the freezer.

I guess it's time to make my own.

I found some 00 flour in our local supermarket.  It is a finer grind than all-purpose flour.  The NY Times had a recipe for dough.  Roberta's Pizza Dough
Pizza Dough

INGREDIENTS

• 153 grams 00 flour (1 cup plus 1 tablespoon)
• 153 grams all-purpose flour (1 cup plus 1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons)
• 8 grams fine sea salt (1 teaspoon)
• 2 grams active dry yeast (3/4 teaspoon)
• 4 grams extra-virgin olive oil (1 teaspoon)

So I decided to try it.
It can be made that day.

It turned out to be excellent.  Not too tough, not too bready.  A real Goldilocks dough.

The dough is topped with sliced sausage, mozzarella, parmesan, olive oil.

The sauce is my standard sauce.

It's a keeper.

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I froze half the dough (I had doubled the recipe to make four pizzas.)
That way, by thawing the balls, I could make two more pizzas.
Today's pizzas are pepperoni

and 

white garlic with black olives and anchovies.

The white one is a favorite!

FWIW, the garlic is "Chesnok Red" from our garden.

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My Standard Sauce

Parts of this sauce go back to Hurricane Irene (2011).

Begin by cooking some Hot Italian Sausage in a porcelain lined stock pot.

Add garlic, basil, parsley, and tomatoes (either my own or Tutto Rosa), and parmesan.

Enjoy!

Freeze the extra.

Thaw some sauce.  

Make meatballs.  Bake them in the oven and add to the sauce.

Remember to add the brown bits stuck to the pan.

Enjoy!

Freeze the extra.

Thaw some sauce.

Usually there is too much meat to sauce ratio, 

so add tomatoes, garlic, basil, parsley.

Enjoy!

Freeze the extra.

If there are extra porkchops or chicken pieces,

thaw some sauce and add them.

add tomatoes, garlic, basil, parsley.

Enjoy!

Freeze the extra.

Over time the flavor becomes impressive.

Oh, and don't forget to add some red wine every once in a while.