Summer Squash, Cherry Tomato and Goat Cheese Pizza

Pizza is objectively delicious, but it's also helpful: there's perhaps no better way of using up all the summer vegetables you inevitably buy too many of this time of year. Throwing them on a crust gives them an entirely new and completely enjoyable flavor.

Summer Squash, Cherry Tomato and Goat Cheese Pizza
Makes one pizza
16 ounces prepared pizza dough (I used whole wheat)
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
Sea salt and black pepper
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded mozzarella
1 small zucchini
1 small yellow squash
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
10 pitted kalamata olives, sliced into thin rounds
3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
Optional toppings: 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped, or a handful of baby arugula

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Roll out your pizza dough into a 12 to 14-inch round on a floured surface.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and garlic with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Brush the garlic-olive oil blend over the dough.

Top the pizza dough with shredded mozzarella.

Use a vegetable peeler to make squash ribbons: peel lengthwise ribbons from one side of the squash, stopping when you get to the seedy core. Turn the squash a quarter turn and repeat until you have made ribbons from all four sides. Repeat with the zucchini.

Top the pizza with yellow squash and zucchini ribbons, cherry tomatoes and olives. Crumble goat cheese over the pizza.

Bake on a lightly oiled baking sheet (or pizza stone, if you have one) until the cheese is bubbling and golden and the crust is crisp underneath, about 25 to 30 minutes. To add an extra layer of fresh flavor, top with a sprinkle of fresh basil or baby arugula. Serve immediately.