Nothing tastes more like summer than fresh, homemade pesto straight from the garden. Here is a quick and simple pesto sauce. The key is to use the best ingredients you can: real Parmigiano-Reggiano, a light and fruity olive oil (extra virgin, obviously), and the freshest basil you can find.

The single most important ingredient is you. The love and energy you put into making it will come through when you taste it. I love to listen to music as I cook. Billie Holiday is perfect with pesto.

-- Scott Smith, co-owner, Dogtown Pizza

For the pesto:

5 oz. fresh basil (two cups of leaves, packed)

½ cup pine nuts

½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

2 Tbsp. grated Romano cheese

2 cloves fresh garlic

½ cup fruity green olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste.

1. Combine pine nuts, garlic, basil and cheeses in a blender or food processor. Puree until well blended, stopping to scrape the sides with a rubber spatula.

2. Slowly add olive oil while continuing to puree.

3. Add salt and pepper to taste and puree until smooth.

No Fail Pizza Dough

Makes 1 large pizza

2 cups unbleached high-gluten bread flour

3/4 teaspoons salt

1 tsp. instant yeast

1 cup cold water

1. Combine all ingredients in a mixer with a dough hook for five minutes. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl. Add flour if too wet and water if too dry.

2. Place dough in a well-oiled bowl, spray oil over top of dough and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge immediately. Let sit overnight.

3. The next day, remove dough from refrigerator. Leave covered at room temperature for a few hours or until the dough has doubled in volume.

4. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. If you don't have a pizza stone, an unglazed quarry tile or the back of a baking sheet can be used until you get a proper pizza cooking surface.

5. Carefully remove dough from bowl onto floured pizza peel, piece of cardboard or the back of a baking sheet. Starting at the center of the dough, use your fingertips to gently press straight down into the dough, working all the way to the edge. Do not press all the way to the edge and be careful not to overwork the crust.

6. Lift dough with well-floured hands. Place dough on back of your hands. Spread your fingers and then gently spread your hands apart. Toss dough into air making one-half turn and catching with the back of your hands and repeating until dough is desired size. Look out for thin spots.

7. Place dough back onto floured peel or baking sheet. Spoon pesto on to taste. Cover with fresh thinly cut summer squash and zucchini. Top with fresh mozzarella and more grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

8. Place pizza on stone or baking sheet on rack in lower third of the oven. Bake 5 to 8 minutes, or until the crust has a nice color.

9. Remove pizza and place directly onto cooling rack to let bottom crust set up. Drizzle crust with more olive oil. Cut and serve.