Cold Veggie Ranch Pizza

This recipe is from the Fool’s Gold Family Recipes Cookbook, a PDF cookbook that you can download for free at www.foolsgoldca.com/funstuff.html. The full-color cookbook has 48 pages of recipes contributed by the characters of Fool’s Gold – everything from Mayor Marsha’s Citrus-Grilled Steaks to Low Carb Cheesy Cauliflower from Dakota Hendrix, the heroine of the latest Fool’s Gold book, ONLY MINE.

I love the vegetables of summer. I know we have the luxury of being able to get fresh vegetables year round, but somehow, the vegetables of summer taste better. They’re more colorful, more flavorful. I’m sure there’s a reason – probably because they’re coming straight from local farmers instead of being shipped north from Chile.

One of my favorite ways to use fresh vegetables is in this cold vegetable Ranch pizza. It’s something of a misnomer to call it pizza, since only the crust is cooked – and it’s not actually a crust but rather crescent roll dough. But I don’t know what else to call it, so I stick with pizza. My husband doesn’t love it. I think he’s crazy, but I’m convinced the reason for his ambivalence is because the word “pizza” creates expectations in his head that this pizza doesn’t meet. So bite into it with an open mind and enjoy. If you love vegetables and ranch dip, I don’t see how you can go wrong.

Recipe: Cold Veggie Ranch Pizza

2 tubes Pillsbury Crescent Roll dough
1 pint sour cream
1 package Ranch mix
4 C fresh vegetables, in ¼-inch pieces
2 C cheddar cheese, shredded
1 can sliced black olives (optional)

Flatten the crescent rolls in a single layer in an ungreased 13x9-inch pan. Cook at 350 until golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Cool. Meanwhile, mix the ranch dip with the sour cream. When the crust is cool, spread the ranch dip over it. Top with vegetables, cheese, and olives, if desired.

When choosing vegetables, stick with those that won’t get slimy or wilted if you’re planning to store the pizza for a few days. (I like to make it on Sunday and then have it for lunch throughout the week.) I use carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, sugar snap peas, red peppers and onions. Plus, I drain a small can of Green Giant Niblets corn and include that. The more colors, the prettier!