Grilled Pizza (A Summer Staple)

During the summer, our family’s favorite way to prepare pizza is to grill it on the barbecue. The first time Bob and I heard about this we immediately gave it a go and loved the results. I’ve contemplated building a brick oven in the backyard to bake bread and pizza in, but it’s not likely to appear on the “home project to-do list” very soon, if ever (built-in bookcases are our next project). So the barbecue is the next best thing! Charred, crispy crust pizza paired with a chilled glass of Pinot Grigio in the backyard equals extreme happiness for me.

While at Hood Canal this past week, grilled pizza was the dinner choice one evening. As I mentioned previously, we were there visiting close friends and their extended family. Making pizza is a marvelous family activity and everyone can get involved. Cheryl, Chris, Lucy and I headed into town for supplies, dropping Carly and Sam off to run along the Wetlands Trail while we shopped. Since we had a large group to make pizza for, we hoped to find fresh, pre-made dough.

After searching two grocery stores and coming up with only three bags of frozen dough, we ventured into the local pizza place and asked about buying dough. Not only did they have fresh dough for us to purchase, but they offered to stretch the dough for us, too. Chris and I gave an enthusiastic “yes!” since we were getting enough for seven pizzas. The owner also gave us a tutorial on the proper chilling and freezing of the dough, how long to let it sit and rise, and the best method to push out the dough.

Back at the cabin, we popped some bubbly and the prep team began chopping. Judy, Peg and Cheryl assembled platters of sliced tomatoes, baby spinach, sliced mushrooms, sautéed onions, fresh basil, sliced fresh mozzarella and grated Parmesan. This is a terrific way to use up bits of leftover veggies in the fridge!

Chris and Bob got the two barbecues heating and the pizza grilling began. Barbecues vary in their temperatures, so it took a couple of pizzas to get the time and heat mastered. We blackened the bottom of our first pie, but it was still tasty and devoured.

A delectable variety of pizzas came off the grill...classic cheese, mushroom and onion, spinach and tomato with basil and more. My absolute favorite topping, though? Eggs! We cracked eggs laid by Peg and Mike’s backyard hens and let them cook on top of the pizza until the whites just set. When sliced, the vibrant yolks spread around the crust and mixed with the Parmesan, tomatoes and basil beautifully. Big, satisfied sighs! A marvelous team effort resulted in a fun, delicious evening.

Grilled Pizza
Makes 2-14 inch pizzas (or 4-6 smaller pizzas if you prefer individual ones)

2 pounds store bought fresh pizza dough or homemade dough (recipe follows)
10 ounces prepared pizza sauce or homemade sauce (recipe follows)
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
Olive oil for brushing grill

Topping suggestions (let your creativity flow!):
Baby spinach
Garlic
Sliced tomatoes
Sliced onions (raw or sautéed)
Fresh herbs such as basil or oregano
Eggs
Parmesan cheese
Olives
Jalapenos

Homemade Pizza Dough

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
4 - 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (or sub whole wheat flour for half of the all-purpose flour), plus more for kneading
3 tablespoons olive oil

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the water, sugar and yeast and let sit until foamy and bubbles appear, about 5 minutes. Add salt, 4 cups of flour and olive oil. Stir until smooth. While stirring, gradually add remaining 1/2 cup flour until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl (you may not need all of the flour).

On a floured surface, knead the dough until elastic and smooth, about 5 minutes. This will give you a bit of a workout! Dust with additional flour if needed to keep from getting sticky. Place dough in a large bowl and cover with a kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm spot for about 1 1/2 hours. You can also cover the bowl with plastic wrap and pop it into the refrigerator overnight. Just be sure to remove it in time for the dough to return to room temperature.

Divide the dough in half and knead lightly. Stretch and roll each piece of dough until it forms a rough circle or rectangle, about 14 inches across (ours are always quite rustic and free form). Transfer to a lightly floured baking sheet to transport to the barbecue. If you prefer individual pizzas, divide the dough into smaller portions and press out.

Quick Tomato Pizza Sauce
From Cook’s Illustrated
Makes about 1 1/2 cups (you will have extra sauce leftover)

1 can (14.5 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a food processor, whiz the crushed tomatoes until smooth.

Heat garlic and oil in medium saucepan over medium heat until garlic is sizzling, about 40 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes, bring to simmer and cook, uncovered, until sauce thickens enough to coat wooden spoon, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Grilling:
Heat your barbecue on high. When ready to start the pizzas, lower the heat to medium. Brush the barbecue with olive oil (using a scrunched up paper towel held with tongs) and lay the pizza dough on the grill for about 4-5 minutes to lightly cook that side. Check frequently to make sure it isn’t burning. It should have grill marks and be lightly golden. If it’s browning too quickly, turn your heat down a bit.

When ready, use tongs to flip the dough. Brush on a thin layer of sauce and add the toppings of your choice. Be sure to thinly scatter the toppings to avoid your pizza being too soft and heavy. Close the cover and let cook until cheese is melted and the bottom is golden brown, another 5 minutes or so.

Slide onto a cutting board, slice and serve. You’ve got yourself a pizza party!

Apricot, Plum and Strawberry Slab Pie at Hood Canal

We are currently enjoying a marvelous visit at Hood Canal (an hour and half southwest of Seattle) with our dear friends from Australia, Chris and Cheryl, and their amazing kids Nick, Carly and Lucy. Originally from Seattle, our friends have a lovely cabin on the water and every July they come back to visit family and friends here. I can’t remember how many years our families have been gathering here... at least twelve or thirteen? Our children have grown up together visiting the canal house and every summer we can’t wait for this time together.


Our days are spent boating, water skiing, wake boarding, shooting BB guns, swimming, lounging in the sun, inner tubing, shooting baskets, paddling in the kayoo (half kayak, half canoe), reading trashy magazines and chatting about the past year. There is always so much to catch up on! Seals pop up to cautiously watch us, folks wave from their boats as they float by, and a generally lazy atmosphere takes over as the day progresses. Late afternoons involve cocktails and nibbles, and this leads into delicious dinners on the barbecue, bottles of wine and more talking and laughing. We spend evenings around the fire pit, roasting s’mores and watching the sun set over the mountains. Sometimes we watch a movie on an outdoor screen, with the canal and disappearing sun as our backdrop.


While the sun is dropping behind the mountains, we start thinking about pie and ice cream. Every year I bake a couple of pies to bring with us, and at this point I don’t think we’d be allowed down the driveway if we didn’t come bearing pies! This year we have a fun crowd at the canal with Chris and Cheryl’s extended family and an 88th birthday to be celebrated, which means lots of pie and special memories.


Knowing we have a big group for dessert, I think about the slab pies I’ve been seeing lately. These are pies baked on a rimmed baking sheet that can feed a larger crowd than one baked in a traditional pie plate. Now, what kind of pie to make? Ah, deciding this is one of summer’s joys when we can choose from peaches, cherries, plums, apricots, berries and more. My kitchen is filled with the scent of strawberries from our berry stand and plums and apricots from the farmer’s market. I see a pie forming!


Apricot, Plum and Strawberry Slab Pie
Serves 24
Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food

Crust:
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled
2/3 cups ice water

Filling:
2 pounds fresh apricots, sliced into eighths
2 pounds plums, sliced into eighths
2 pints strawberries, hulled and sliced into halves or quarters depending upon their size
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
Cream for brushing on crust

Cover the bottom and sides of a 10x15 inch rimmed baking sheet with foil. In a food processor, pulse the flour, salt and sugar together to combine. Cut one stick of butter into tablespoon sizes and add to the mix. Pulse until just incorporated. Repeat with remaining three sticks of butter. The mixture should resemble a coarse meal. With the machine running, add 2/3 cup ice water. Pulse until the dough is crumbly and holds together when squeezed. If necessary, add more ice water one tablespoon at a time. Do not overmix.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead lightly to make a smooth dough. Divide in half. On a sheet of parchment paper, roll the first ball of dough into a rectangle just larger than the baking sheet. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet by lifting and flipping the parchment paper onto the pan and peel off the paper. Press dough into the bottom and sides of the pan. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator to chill until ready to use. On another sheet of parchment paper, roll out the second ball of dough. Place this in the refrigerator to chill (can lay on top of the baking pan).

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine the fruit, sugar and cornstarch. Let sit for 15 minutes. Remove the sheet pan from the refrigerator and spoon the fruit and juices onto the bottom crust and spread evenly. Flip the top crust onto the top and peel off the paper. Press the edges of the top and bottom crust together and crimp. Brush the top of the pie with cream and cut slits on the top of the pie to vent. Place the pan in the oven on top of two pieces of foil spread out (to catch any drips) and reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Bake for about 45-50 minutes, until the top is a bit golden and the juices are bubbling thickly through the steam vents. Cool for one hour before serving.