Pizza, unpopcorn & a movie

Friday nights are usually pizza night around here. Most of the time, the boys have their pizza, while I make my own version or perhaps something with an Italian flavor. In the cooler months, I'll make a heavier "baked" (in this case, dehydrated) slice, but this time of year, I prefer a lighter veggie base.

When I say veggie-based (literally), I often mean with a zucchini or other vegetable base. For instance, last night I made a French (zucchini) bread-style slice, using a squash I got from the farmers market.

I cut it lengthwise, seasoned it with sea salt and pepper, and topped it all off with two types of tomato rounds (also from the local market; too bad my lighting didn't allow the zebra-stripe's color to shine), fresh basil (again, purchased that evening), diced onion (from you know where), garlic, oregano, more salt and pepper, and a drizzle of EVOO.

On the side, I served spiral cut yellow squash (also local), sliced with the larger blade to look like curly fries. I tossed them lightly in olive oil, sprinkled them with sea salt and pepper, and absorbed the excess moisture off with a towel (I don't like my "fries" to be too greasy). I probably could have warmed them in the dehydrator, but their fresh from the market state was perfect for me.

At the farmers market, I ran into my friend Rawbin, who came back to the house for a quick visit. We chit-chatted for a while on the front porch, and then she left me with a gift: Jason Mraz's chocomole. Yum! I would've taken a picture, but I ate it too fast :-)

Later in the evening, the boys and I decided to settle down with a flick (Jacob insisted on "Racing Stripes," which was on Cartoon Network at the time). If I wasn't so full, I would've eaten some unpopcorn.

Just as the name suggests, it's just unpopped (raw) corn kernels cut fresh off the cob. When the corn is in season (I also got these tasty morsels locally that evening), they don't need much seasoning. Eat them plain or sprinkle them with sea salt, pepper and a little cayenne for a kick.

You can also add cumin, cilantro and a squeeze of lime for a Mexican flare, or keep it closer to the original popped stuff with some flax oil, sea salt and maybe a little nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor.

This goes to show that you don't always need an exact copy of traditional cooked fare. Have a little fun with your food and play with the presentation (like when I made this). You might find you actually prefer these raw basics.