We pulled into Boulder one week ago with a truck the size of a small house, a trailer the size of a smaller house, two dogs who thought they were just on an epic car ride, and an invaluable set of in-laws ready to lift couches and haul boxes. Although it was sad to leave my hometown behind, I’m not looking back; I only see big, bright adventures ahead.
Summer Pesto
Veggies
Swiss cheese
Into the Pan
Dough
Ready to Fold
The first order of business was to get our apartment in order; moving from a 1,500 square foot house into an 800 square foot apartment meant stuffing the closets to the brim and sitting three inches away from the TV – but hey, I feel like I’m at the IMAX every time I turn on the tube! Now that things are more settled around our new digs, we’ve started exploring our new surroundings.
First impressions of life in Boulder County? It’s bicycle friendly. It’s quiet in the country. It’s full of trails. Its scenery is hard to beat. It’s local-centric. It’s beer-centric. It’s dog friendly. It’s a foodie’s paradise. It’s like Fayetteville on steroids.
We’ve already met a handful of lovely folks in our neighborhood: Carrie the yoga instructor, Judy the animal lover, Stefan and Janis the Washingtonians, Moe the fancy landscaper, Barbara the east-coaster-turned-Boulderite. We also met a wonderful group of people down at Munson Farms, a family-owned operation in the east part of Boulder.
When we stopped by the farm stand, the Munsons were offering a slew of tomatoes, corn, peaches, peppers, squash, potatoes, eggplant – even pick-your-own zinnias right out of the field, four for a dollar. As I gathered up a handful of veggies, we chatted with the owner about this season’s weird weather, the problem with shipping heirloom tomatoes and the disappointing fact that the pattypan squash were already on their way out for the season. When I had my three dollar bag of veggies in hand, we said our thank yous and goodbyes and trotted on home.
I’d been to Whole Foods the day before, where I bought a tub of refrigerated pizza dough for when the mood strikes (there are four Whole Foods within a five mile radius of my apartment, y’all. I have died and gone to Whole Foods heaven.) We’d also toted Hubs’ summer pesto with us from Arkansas, and it was sitting in the freezer in ice cube tray chunks; per usual, the wheels started turning and I immediately knew where the theme was going.
When I think of the word calzone, I think of those food-porn Pizza Hut commercials with strings of gooey cheese salaciously stretching out from perfectly browned, glistening, crusty domes of dough; but instead of the piles of cheese and mystery meat, I filled our calzone with sautéed veggies from Munson Farms, Hubs’ summer pesto and a few liberal handfuls of Swiss cheese. My calzone was close to food-porn status, if I may toot my own horn.
Now, if you’re feeling ambitious, feel free to make your own dough – I’ve got a great recipe for you right here. Otherwise, any store-bought or frozen dough will save you time and elbow grease. And as I always, always, always say, change up the fillings to fit your taste buds! There is no right or wrong to what can go into a calzone… OK, maybe there are a few wrongs, but y’all are smart enough to know better, anyway. Enjoy!
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Colorado Calzone
Ingredients:
1 recipe for pizza dough, or 1 refrigerated pizza dough
1/2 c. yellow squash, chopped
1/2 c. zucchini, chopped
1/2 c. bell pepper, chopped
1/2 c. eggplant, chopped
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1/2 c. favorite pesto
1 c. favorite cheese, shredded
olive oil, salt and pepper
Colorado Calzone
In a large sauté pan, cook the vegetables (squash through onion) in a little olive oil over medium heat, until softened and beginning to brown. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 425°. On a floured surface, roll out the pizza dough into a 16″ circle. On half of the circle, spread half of the pesto and cheese, leaving at least a one inch at the edge of the dough. Spread the sautéed vegetables evenly over the pesto and cheese, and top with the remaining pesto and cheese. Fold the dough over and pinch the sides firmly to seal. Make several small slits in the top of the calzone to allow the steam to escape. Bake on a baking sheet for about 20-30 minutes, until the crust is beginning to brown. Slice into fourths and serve immediately.
Photo slideshow
* If the above slideshow doesn’t load, you can view all the photos from this recipe on Flickr.
Laura Hobbs
Laura is a regular contributor for the Fayetteville Flyer. She was born and raised in Fayetteville. She is a self-proclaimed foodie and avid cook. For more of Laura’s contributions, see her Flyer Foodie author page. For more cooking, recipes, and other food-related inspiration, visit Flyer Foodie on Facebook.
