Edible balcony update - October

Well I'm very happy with how the greens and herbs are thriving. I'm watering them every second day or so and fertilizing  them with liquid seaweed once a fortnight. Only a few bug invasions which a couple of douses of Pest Oil quickly sorted out. This basket of balcony produce is off to my mother-in-laws - it contains rainbow silverbeet, sugar snap peas and tendrils, basil, parsley, rocket, rosemary, thyme and curry leaves.

The balcony basil looked so good it inspired me to make a Grand Final pizza.

Recipe

Pizza Dough (makes 2 x 16cm x 32cm rectangular pizzas)

4 cups plain flour

1 x 7g sachet dried yeast

2 level teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 1/4 water (a mixture of half boiling and half cold)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl and make a well in the cnetre. Combine the water and oil, then pour into the well. Mix the wet and dry ingredients with a wooden spoon until most of the flour is incorporated, then use your hands to mix until a soft dough forms.

Turn the dough onto a floured board and knead for ten minutes. Put in a lightly greased bowl, brush the top with a little warm water, cover with a greased plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until doubled in size, about 35 minutes.

Punch down the dough and knead on a lightly floured board for about 1 minute. Divide in half and roll each out to a 16cm x 32cm rectangle (about 4cm thick) or into rounds to fit pizza pans (or freeze half the dough for future use - which is what I usually do!)

Topping

Your favourite tomato sauce

Meredith's marinated goats cheese

chargrilled red peppers sliced

half a white onion finely sliced

grating of fresh parmigiano reggiano

and MY BASIL LEAVES