By Destiny called Tuesday evening with news I could hear she was working to hold steady: she has scheduled her LCSW licensure exam for the third week of April. She has been studying for weeks, reviewing case scenarios and theory and the diagnostic frameworks she'll need, and she said she is ready but she also said she is terrified, which I think are both true and both correct. Being ready does not remove the terror. You can be fully prepared and still feel the weight of something mattering.
I asked her what she needed from me and she said she just wanted me to know. I said, I know, and I am going to tell you what I know: you are going to pass this exam. She asked how I knew. I said because I have watched you do hard things with complete dedication since you were seven years old and I have never once seen you fail at something you set your mind to fully. She was quiet for a moment and then she said, Mama, I needed to hear that exactly. I said, I know. I said it before she said it.
The spring is beginning to stir outside. My garden is still dormant but I've been working the soil on warm days, turning the compost in, planning what goes where. I'm putting in a second tomato row this year because my neighbor Dorothea has asked if she can have tomatoes from my garden and I said yes, and yes means I need more tomatoes. This is how gardens expand: through generosity, which requires preparation, which creates abundance. Bernice's garden was twice the size of mine because she cooked for twice as many people. Now I understand.
Six weeks to Destiny's exam. Six weeks to March — the month everything happened three years ago, four years ago, the month I still approach with a different quality of attention. But this March I have something forward-facing to aim at. Destiny's exam. The April tomatoes. Memphis in late April. The world is tilting toward spring and I am going with it.
While I wait for Destiny’s exam date to arrive and watch my garden soil slowly wake back up, I’ve been reaching for meals that feel alive and forward-facing — nothing heavy, nothing that pulls me backward. These Portobello Pizzas have become my answer to spring evenings: they’re hearty enough to feel like a real meal, fresh enough to honor the season, and just festive enough to feel like a small, quiet celebration of everything good that’s on its way. I made a batch the night after Destiny called, and I thought about her the whole time I was layering the toppings.
Portobello Pizzas
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 large portobello mushroom caps, stems and gills removed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup marinara or pizza sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
- 1/4 cup sliced black olives (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- Fresh basil leaves, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Heat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- Prepare the mushrooms. Wipe each portobello cap clean with a damp cloth. Brush both sides generously with olive oil and season the inside (gill side up) with garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Pre-roast. Place the mushroom caps gill-side down on the prepared baking sheet and roast for 8–10 minutes, until they begin to soften and release some of their moisture. Remove from the oven and carefully blot any excess liquid with a paper towel.
- Add the toppings. Flip the mushrooms so they are gill-side up. Spoon 2 tablespoons of marinara sauce into each cap, spreading it evenly. Divide the shredded mozzarella among the four caps, then top with cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, and olives if using.
- Bake. Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake for an additional 10–12 minutes, until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and beginning to turn golden at the edges.
- Finish and serve. Remove from the oven and let rest for 2 minutes. Scatter fresh basil leaves over the top, add a pinch of crushed red pepper if you like a little heat, and serve immediately.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 195 | Protein: 10g | Fat: 13g | Carbs: 10g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 480mg