Roasted Veggie Thin Crust Pizza

As a die-hard Kansas fan, I can cite many reasons for disliking the state of Missouri (centralizing on some college in the town of Columbia...). So then, actually liking a product from within Missouri borders is fairly big news.

A friend of mine was nice enough to bring me some fresh produce from the St. Louis farmers market this past week. I got some delicious red bell peppers, an avocado, and-- best of all-- Japanese eggplant. My friend had been talking to me for weeks about the wonders of Japanese eggplant. He raved about how the flavor is so much more tender than that of traditional eggplants. I found myself hesitating as I passed by the Japanese eggplant selection at the local grocery; there is always a little fear in the unfamiliar.

However, when my friend so graciously gave me the Japanese eggplant, there was no way I was going to let the opportunity slide. Enter: roasted Japanese eggplant and onion thin crust pizza!

Notes of significance: I love crisping up whole wheat tortillas to use for flat crust pizza. Just before the first frost, I (sadly) stripped my basil plant and made an extra large batch of pesto to keep me through the winter. I froze the pesto in an ice cube tray, so I have convenient 1 tbsp. sized portions whenever I want!

Roasted Japanese Eggplant Pizza...
individually portioned, because you won't want to share.


Ingredients:

• 1 whole-wheat tortilla
• 1 Japanese eggplants
• 1/2 medium yellow onion
• 1/2 cup baby spinach
• 1/8 cup feta cheese
• 1 tbsp. pesto
  
• thyme, basil, salt and pepper for seasoning.
• 1-2 tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice eggplant in 1/4 in thick slices. Cut onion into large chunks. Coat the eggplant and onions in olive oil. Season to taste and spread out on roasting pan.
  
• Roast for approximately 30 minutes, flipping once.
  
• While vegetables are roasting, thinly coat the tortilla with olive oil. When vegetables are done in the oven, bake tortilla (still at 400 degrees) for approximately four minutes on each side, or until lightly brown and crispy. Watch closely for bubbles forming in tortilla. Pop any bubbles, so as to keep the tortilla flat.
• When tortilla is crisped, coat in pesto, cover with a layer of baby spinach, and arrange roasted vegetables. Top with feta cheese. Bake in oven for approximately five minutes.
• Cut and enjoy... all to yourself!