Abstract, grilled pizza – Margherita and Grilled Veggie

I always get excited when I get a new issue of Everyday Food in the mail – and usually for good reason. For the July/August issue, EDF featured grilled pizza, which is something I’ve always wanted to make and have always been hesitant to try. I’m very familiar with grilling nearly any kind of meat (except fish, since I don’t really eat fish) and vegetables, but dough? Really?

Anyhow, I decided to take the plunge on Sunday (but really made the pizzas on Monday). How did that work, you ask? Well, I finished reading EDF on Sunday and, after taking a two-hour nap on Sunday and guzzling down a McDonald’s UNSWEET iced tea during a movie, I wasn’t tired. This being my first attempt at grilled pizza, I decided to follow the recipes to a “t.” I started making the dough around 9:30 p.m. and started the sauce while the dough was completing the first rise. The dough was just as easy as any pizza dough (and if you’ve never made pizza dough, it’s very easy) and rose according to the recipe directions. The sauce, made with canned, whole peeled tomatoes, was quick and easy – and delicious. After letting the sauce cool and putting the dough in the fridge after the second rise, I went to bed.

I started again during lunch on Monday, when I made the garlic herb oil. I varied the recipe slightly by adding some fresh thyme to the simmering oil in addition to the garlic and fresh rosemary (I’ve had a bumper crop of herbs this year on my deck – I need to use them somehow!). I left the oil to cool for the remainder of the afternoon so assembly was the last thing to do on Monday.

Monday evening, I stretched my dough (into three abstract shapes, of course) and coated it with some of the garlic herb oil. I chopped up some fresh zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, onion and red bell pepper and prepped the grill and grill basket. While preheating the grill, I tossed the veggies in some prepared pesto to add some extra flavor. Before Kelsey and Emerson arrived (our dinner guests for the evening), I had the veggies started on the grill and was getting ready to flop the first disc of dough on the grill. Yes, I said flop. That’s what I had to do to get it on the grill. Flop it from a cookie sheet to the grill. : )

Alright, enough about my “secret” techniques and on to the fun stuff – the toppings. I topped all three pizzas with the homemade tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella cheese. Then, the margherita pizza was topped with a few fresh basil leaves from my herb garden, the second pizza was topped with some of the grilled veggies (and more basil – bumper crop, folks), and the third pizza was topped half and half – margherita and grilled veggie.

Looking back, I’d split the dough in half instead of into thirds, and I’d flour my cookie sheets before stretching the dough. Pam spray didn’t help in getting the dough off the cookie sheets and on the grill grates.

Grilled Margherita Pizza

Grilled Veggie Pizza

RECIPES

PIZZA CRUST DOUGH (for two approximately 10″ pizzas) – “Basic Grilled Pizza Dough,” Everyday Food, July/August 2010, p. 96

1 c. warm water
1 t. sugar
1 packet (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
2 t. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for bowl and brushing
1 t. coarse salt
Ground pepper
2 1/4 c. bread flour or all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface (you may need more if it’s a very humid day)

NOTE: I use my Kitchen-Aid stand mixer for this recipe, but you don’t need one to make this dough. This recipe refers to the mixer.

Pour warm water into the mixing bowl of your mixer, add sugar and sprinkle with yeast. Let stand until foamy, about five minutes. Using dough hook, mix oil, 1 t. salt and some freshly ground pepper into yeast mixture. Add flour and mix until liquid is incorporated. Knead on medium speed for about two minutes. If dough appears sticky or shiny, add a little more flour until the dough looks dry and elastic. Transfer dough to an oiled bowl and brush the top of dough lightly with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm location to rise until dough doubles in bulk, 30-45 minutes. Punch down and let rise again for 30 minutes.

Turn out dough unto a lightly floured work surface and divide in half. To store, refrigerate dough pieces, covered, up to two days or freeze up to one month. Let rest 15 minutes before using.

GRILLED VEGETABLES FOR GRILLED PIZZA

1/2 large zucchini, cut into 1/8″ slices and quartered
1/2 large yellow squash, cut into 1/8″ slices and quartered
1/4 large Vidalia onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
5 button mushrooms (or more), sliced thin
1/3 c. prepared pesto (I use Classico brand)

Combine your veggies into a bowl and toss with pesto until coated. Preheat grill and grill basket to medium-high heat. Add veggies to grill basket and grill for approximately 15 minutes or until veggies are softened, tossing often to avoid burning.
GARLIC HERB OIL

1/2 c. olive oil
1 garlic clove, sliced thin
2 t. fresh rosemary, chopped
1 t. fresh thyme, rolled between fingers to release oil

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer for approximately three minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. To store, cover and refrigerate.

DELICIOUS TOMATO SAUCE – “Simple Tomato Sauce,” Everyday Food, July/August 2010, p. 97

3 T. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed in a garlic press
1/4 T. red pepper flakes
1, 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 t. fresh oregano leaves, minced (or 1/2 t. dry oregano)

Heat oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and tomatoes, breaking up tomatoes as you go (I used my Pampered Chef Mix n’ Chop). Season witH coarse salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a rapid simmer. Cook, stirring often until sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Stir in oregano. To store, refrigerate up to four days or freeze up to one month.
ASSEMBLING AND GRILLING YOUR PIZZAS

Preheat grill to high heat. Stretch dough to desired size and shape and brush herb oil on top side (this will become the bottom of your pizza). Flop onto heated grill, reduce heat to medium. Coat backside of dough (facing you now) with herb oil. Using a spatula or tongs, flip dough once underside is lightly charred and bubbles form on top, 1-3 minutes. Add toppings and cook for another 1-3 minutes. If cheese is not yet melted, move pizza away from direct heat to top rack of grill and close the grill for a minute until cheese is melted.

> Toppings for Margherita pizza: Delicious tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil
> Toppings for grilled veggie pizza: Delicious tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, grilled veggies, fresh basil