Conaway Calzones

Our picnic today at Conaway Lake featured Diane Boyd's Ratatouille Calzones and Giada's "House" Soup.   Both items were prepared Friday. That's a day I have a noon-time water aerobics class.  That morning, I prepared the bread dough, let it rest one hour, then refrigerated the covered dough.  I put the ratatouille in the slow cooker before I went out.  When I got home from class, the calzone dough and vegetables were ready for assembly.  Diane was right, these calzones would entice everyone to eat their vegetables!

Ratatouille Calzones

(Serves 8)

Bread Dough
In mixing bowl with dough hook, mix flour, sugar and yeast.  Slowly add warm water.  Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon dry yeast
2 cups water (125 F.)

Gradually add remaining flours.  Knead on low speed for about 8 minutes, until dough leaves the side of the bowl.
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
Place dough in a bowl.  (I use an olive oil spray to grease the bowl and dough.)  Cover and let rest for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, I placed the dough in the refrigerator to slow the rising while I was out.  The calzones could have been assembled at the time the ratatouille was done cooking. 

Slow Cooker Ratatouile
Saute the pepper, scallions and garlic in olive oil for 6 minutes.
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 banana pepper, diced
1/4 cup scallions, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed

Grease the slow cooker pan with olive oil spray.  Layer the eggplant, then the squash, then tomatoes.  Cover the tomatoes with the sauteed vegetables.  Sprinkle with Mrs. Dash.  Pour the wine over all the mix.
1 medium eggplant, peeled and sliced in 1/2 inch pieces
1 large yellow squash, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
6 small tomatoes, quartered and some seeds removed
Mrs. Dash
1/3 cup white zinfandel wine
Cover and cook on high for 3 1/2 hours.

Stir in the fresh herbs and olives.  Cook for 30 more minutes.
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
5 sprigs fresh oregano
1/3 cup calamati olives, sliced


Calzone assembly
Divide dough into 8 pieces.  Place on floured surface and let rest (covered) for 30 minutes.
Sprinkle parchment lined baking sheets with cornmeal.
1/4 cup corn meal 
Press each dough piece into a round.
Top each piece with 3 tablespoons of ratatouille (I drained the vegetables by placing a mini colander into the crock pot so that I could reserve the liquid.  There was about 1/12 cups of extra vegetables)
Leave a 1/2 inch rim around the edge of the dough.
Top vegetables with 2 tablespoons of cheese. 
1/4 cup fresh mozzarella, shredded
3/4 cup Parmigiana cheese, shredded
Fold dough over.  Crimp ends with a fork. 
Brush calzones with oil.
2 tablespoon olive oil 
Bake at 450 F. for 25 minutes.

Giada's House Soup

(Serves 9)

In a large saucepan, saute scallions, chopped carrot and fennel for 3 minutes. 
2 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 cup scallions, diced
2 carrots, 1 chopped, 1 sliced
1/2 fennel bulb, chopped

Add farro and beans.  Toast and stir for 1 minute.
1/2 cup farro
3/4 cup shelled fava beans

Add tomatoes, stock and thyme.  Cook for 1 1/2 hours on medium heat, partially covered.
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, without salt
2 quarts low sodium chicken stock
3 sprigs thyme

Add meats and corn the last half hour of cooking.
2 ounce browned and crumbled Italian sausage
5 ounce dark meat chicken
1 ear of corn, cut off the cob

Add the spinach the last few minutes of cooking.
1/2 cup fresh picked spinach 

Conaway Lake is a wild life management area in Tyler County (West Virginia).  My husband is always on the look out for a pretty place to picnic, and this was a perfect spot.