No-mato pizza

My mouth and stomach don't like too much acid, so I've been thinking about different ways to make pizza. I had heard of people using pumpkin purée, and it sounded weird to me.

Parmesan garlic basil crisps

It's as easy as this- Preheat the oven to 350F, line a baking pan with baking paper, drop tablespoons full of real, grated parmesan (not the kind from the shaker) onto the paper and flatten out a bit. Sprinkle with dried basil and garlic powder. Bake for 5 minutes. Let it cool. Eat.

You can make as many or as few as you want. Keeps for a week in the fridge in an airtight container.

Oven or dehydrator tomato parmesan crisps

Apple Peel Chips

• Thinly slice beefsteak or other meaty tomato (try for 6 cups, or go by how much room you have in your dehydrator/oven- the rest of the recipe is adjustable to your quantities)
• 2Tbsp olive oil (or other oil as you like)
• 2tsp sea salt
• 1tsp garlic powder, or very finely minced fresh garlik (you want it to spread evenly)
• 2Tbsp parmesan cheese (or more if you really like cheese)

Plant-based rennets for cheese

The Medieval Cheese Blog is an amazing resource. I'm planning on trying a couple of these suggestions for making cheese- Plant-based cheese rennets

The most accessible plants mentioned are nettle, thistle, cardoon, sorrel and lady's bedstraw (that's a very multi-purpose plant!). The other option she mentions is the sap of a fig tree. While it's possible to grow those in Ontario, unless you live in zone 7 it's a serious pain to try and keep them.

I've harvested a few early sorrel leaves from the garden, so I'll see how it turns out.

Cauliflower with cheese and bacon

Cauliflower with Cheese with Bacon

• 1 fresh cauliflower
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch or tapioca starch
• 1.5 cups milk
• 1 onion or leek
• 2-4 oz of bacon (approx. 4-6 strips)
• 2 oz cheese (a good way to approximate is look at your index and middle fingers together- that's about the right size)
• salt and pepper
• horseradish or mustard
• blob of butter

Cheese and potato dumplings

Cheese and Potato Dumplings

• 2 lbs of potatoes peeled (set aside the peel to bake in the oven for another delicious snack)
• 2 eggs
• 3 to 4 oz strong grated cheese
• salt and pepper
• dried herbs to taste 

Lord Woolton pie

This was considered to be a sad substitute for Shepherd's Pie during WWII in the UK, but it's a great way to get veggies into reluctant veggie eaters. Serve with a roast of some variety for a very decadent meal. It's also a great way to use leftover vegetables. All these BBC Wartime productions have gotten me thinking.