Stories + Activities: “Tomatoes for Neela” Pizza Night

Make fresh tomato sauce to top pasta or pizza and dig into literature with your little with the picture book, “Tomatoes for Neela”!

When I walk towards the garden in the summer, and I can see the shiny red globes of tomatoes hiding among the green leaves, I taste pizza. At this point, we grow tomatoes for pizza sauce. I start the seeds in January, baby them through the cold spring, water them as it begins to heat up and harvest them in the heat of summer. And that’s just when the fun begins!

Pizza night has become the Friday night family affair. The Italian music plays, the matching aprons are donned, the cheese is being eaten faster than it can be placed. It is a vibrant occasion. Color, smells, tunes…

Those are the things we love about “Tomatoes for Neela” by Padma Lakshmi! The story illustrates Neela’s family tradition of summer sauce making from the farmer’s market to canned for her grandmother’s visit. The illustrations are bright and moving, and even educational. The author has Neela articulate the different types of tomatoes at the farmer’s market. When Neela asks why they don’t just buy tomatoes in the winter, her mom speaks toward seasonal eating and the way it impacts flavor. 

How to Know When Your Tomatoes are Ripe

Trick question! Tomatoes begin as a green fruit that gradually grow in their mature hue. Some gardeners will say that tomatoes are best when in full blush on the vine. But as a toddler-mom-gardener, I can tell you that a tomato can be picked, with any amount of mature color showing, and continue to ripen on your windowsill. They are the best tasting when full of color and semi-soft.

How to Elevate Your Pizza

Family pizza night is such a treat, but mom and dad sometimes appreciate elevating the common cheese pizza. Here are our favorite way to take it to the next level:

1. Garlic scape pesto
2. Mozzarella in the crust
3. Add fresh basil after cooking
4. Pre cook the dough with olive oil, garlic powder and italian seasonings
5. Top with banana peppers, or spicy honey

Garden Fresh Tomato Sauce

Ingredients: 

1 large onion

8 cloves of garlic

1 TB of oil

½ shredded carrot

56 oz tomatoes

6 oz tomato paste

1 tsp dried oregano

1 TB dried basil

½ tsp dried tyme

1 tsp honey

1 tsp salt

**if using fresh herbs, double the amount listed

Directions: 

1. Dice the onion, mince the garlic and shred one half of the carrot. Place in a pot on the stove with the oil. 
2. Once softened, add the tomatoes to the pot, along with the paste and herbs. Finish, by stirring in the salt and honey. 
3. Allow to simmer until slightly thickened. This can take upwards of an hour, but adding additional tomato paste will reduce cook time. 
4. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to one week. 

Homestyle Pizza Dough from Prairie Homestead 

(makes 1 large homestyle pizza or two personal size homestyle pizzas)

Ingredients

½ TB active dry yeast

1 ¾ C warm water

3 ½ C all-purpose flour

½ TB salt

Directions

1. Mix the year and water in a bowl, then allow to sit for 3 mins for the yeast to bloom. 
2. Add the flour, followed by the salt and mix to combine. Really incorporate the flour, but no kneading is required. 
3. Allow to rise for 2-3 hours. (You can also place the dough into the fridge for 24 hours)
4. Ready to shape!

Neapolitan Style Pizza Dough from Ooni

(Makes 5 personal Neapolitan style pizzas)

Ingredients

300 ml water

3g active dried yeast 

10g salt

500g flour

Directions

5. Mix the year and water in a bowl, then allow to sit for 3 mins for the yeast to bloom. 
6. Add the flour, followed by the salt and mix to combine. Really incorporate the flour, but no kneading is required. 
7. Allow to rise for 2-3 hours. (You can also place the dough into the fridge for 24 hours)
8. Ready to shape!

Supplemental Reading List: 

1. “Bear and Bunny Grow Tomatoes” by Bruce Koscielniak
2. “Summer Supper” by Rubin Pfeffer
3. “Curious George and the Pizza Party” by Margaret + H.A. Rey

From Garden to Table: A Slice of Summer Joy

There’s something so special about watching your little one connect the dots between the garden, the kitchen, and the table. Tomatoes for Neela captures that wonder perfectly: the rhythm of the seasons, the joy of family traditions, and the beauty of homemade food. Whether you’re simmering fresh tomato sauce or stretching pizza dough together on a Friday night, these moments are the heart of family life. So pull up a chair, pass the pizza, and savor the sweetness of summer – one bite (and one story) at a time.

Read More:

Stories + Activities: “Seven Silly Eaters”

Stories + Activities: “If You Give A Moose A Muffin”

Nature Education Books for Kids