12 servings

This has nothing to do with this recipe, but I have a small dilemma this summer that I would like to share with you. We were off this last weekend, but Mitzi and I were working hard in the garden. It is harvest time. We made some pickles, and we will can a variety of tomato sauces. We have been trying to dry peppers, but it is so hard to dry peppers in Ohio because it has been a little cool and the humidity is high. This is where my dilemma begins. Uncle Ronnie lives in Vegas, where there is no humidity, and it is pretty hot this time of year. He said that he would dry the peppers for me if I ship them to him, but he wants his cut. He thinks that keeping 10 percent of the peppers would be fair. I am still undecided.

The recipe that I am going to share with you is great for a party. Everyone loves the flavor of pizza. They can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. You can bake a few at a time to keep them fresh throughout the party. Freeze the ones that you don’t use.

Ingredients
12 baguette pieces, cut 1.5 inches long
1/4 cup small-dice red onion
4 fresh, stem-off, small-dice medium mushrooms
8 pitted, thinly sliced Kalamata olives
1/4 cup small-dice green bell pepper
1/4 cup small-dice pepperoni
6 thinly sliced large basil leaves
3/4 cup pizza sauce, your favorite
To taste, salt
To taste, freshly ground black pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Garnish, fresh basil bunch

Procedure
Push the inside of each baguette slice down to form a small bowl. Place the pieces on a baking tray, leaving at least 1/2-inch between.
Mix together all of the ingredients except for the cheese and basil for garnish.
Stuff the mixture into each bread bowl.
Sprinkle the cheese evenly over each piece.
Bake at 400 degrees until done, approximately 20 minutes.
Remove from oven; garnish with fresh basil.

Enjoy!