This weekend I joined in celebrating the 5th Birthday of my very sweet friend, Isabel! I was lucky enough to be included – with other youngins and a pack of dogs – in her butterfly themed birthday party. I ate my weight in potato chips while the rest of the crew ran around the yard and enjoyed some particularly cold Spring weather.

When planning what to bring, I thought an adult version of a 5-year-old favorite would be fun and fitting. I risked my popularity by bringing mini pizzas with baby broccoli and grape tomatoes. The risk paid off and everyone seemed to enjoy them. I used two varieties of broccoli and tomato that are grown to be sweeter (local innovation at its sweetest?… food for thought). Check out broccoletti and kumatos next time you’re at the super market. Or, pick up the traditional variety at the Farmers Market – tomatoes will be in season soon and nothing is sweeter than a locally grown tomato!

These mini pizzas were as sweet as our budding kindergartener.

Mini Pizzas with Broccoletti and Kumatos 

• 1/2 recipe of homemade pizza dough (it’s better than store bought and so easy)
• 1 batch of broccoletti or broccoli, cut into small bite sized pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pint of sweet grape tomatoes – or kumatos – halved
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• red pepper flakes (optional)
• gruyere cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet, saute broccoli and garlic on medium until tender. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to your liking.

Roll out pizza dough fairly thin and cut with a biscuit-cutter to make small rounds. Place small pizza rounds on a cookie sheet and top with a teaspoon of gruyere cheese. Then top with broccoli and half of a grape tomato. Add a sprinkling of salt, pepper, additional cheese and olive oil. Bake for about 20 minutes or until dough and cheese are browned!