Pizza Pie Planter

I am finally feeling back to normal. Apparently I had the Fifths Disease. I had never heard of it before, but I had all the symptoms. It really wiped me out, I am glad you are suppose to only get it once and then you do not get it again. And since it is common in kids from 5 -15, that must mean I am still young.

Last night I made homemade pizza. I made the crust and the sauce by scratch, I am not sharing it with you because it did not turn out all that great. But making my own pizza reminded me of an idea I saw in Family Fun a few years ago that I have always wanted to try, a Pizza Pie Planter.

You plant your own ingredients for a homemade sauce.

From Family Fun," First, place a large flat stone over the drainage hole of a half barrel planter. Add a 1 to 2 inch layer of gravel or stone, then fill the barrel to within 3 inches of the planter's rim with a mixture of potting soil and compost. ( we used about 65 pounds of potting soil and 5 pounds of compost.) Next, plant seedling of your favorite herbal and vegetable pizza toppings or sauce ingredients in the soil. We used basil, oregano, and a tomato plant, but you can also try a pepper or an eggplant seedling, depending upon you crew's most requested toppings. You may need to stake your tomato seedling for support as it grows (we recommend a determinate variety, a plant that grows only to a specific height.) If you'd like, top off your pizza garden with a wooden spatula decorated with acrylics paints. Water and weed your garden regularly, and it should start yielding pizza sauce in about 6 weeks.

Pizza with Homemade Sauce

2 lbs tomatoes (about 4 to 5 medium)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 Tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
1/2 teaspoon fresh Thyme, chopped (optional)
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp tomato paste, or more for thicker sauce
Pepper to taste
Ready made pizza crust
Pizza Toppings

Cut the tomatoes in half horizontally, remove the seeds, and place the tomatoes in a food processor. Puree to desired thickness (longer for thinner, shorter sauce.)
In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat and saute the garlic until lightly brown, about 1 minute. Carefully add the pureed tomatoes. Mix thoroughly, then cover and simmer for 45 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally.
When the tomatoes are cooked, add the remaining oil, herbs, salt, sugar, tomato paste, and pepper, if desired. Simmer an additional 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Spread as much sauce as you like on to the crust, add toppings and bake according to the package directions. Make 1 1/2 cups of sauce, enough for 2 to 3 12 inch pizzas.

I think this is such a great idea, I will let you know if I get around to doing the real thing.
If the price of food keep going up I am going to have to start growing all my own produce.