Mom's Pizza Dough Recipe File

grilled tomato peach pizza

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August is grilling month. Not only is it too hot to turn on the oven in your house, but there are lots of fruits and vegetables that are delicious when grilled. My new favorite combination, peaches and tomatoes, is to die for. A must try.

Grilled pizza is great. It is super easy, can be done well in advance for a party, and it tastes even better as it cools down. Also, fresh tomatoes are a good fit for grilled pizza because you don't have to worry about the water from the tomatoes making the crust soggy.

I like to throw together simple combinations on a grilled pizza that don't take a lot of prep. Add a salad and you have the makings of a light summer dinner.

Grilled tomato peach pizza

1 medium tomato, chopped

1 medium peach, chopped

less than 1/2 lb. brie cheese

a handful of small basil leaves

balsamic vinegar (optional)

The first step is to chop the tomato and set aside to drain off some of the water.

Heat grill on medium to 400 degrees.

Roll out pizza dough on a well floured surface, making sure that the dough doesn't stick. Transfer to the back-side of a baking sheet or a peel dusted with cornmeal. 

Slide the dough directly onto the grill. The dough will fold over a bit, but you can use your hands or tongs to smooth it out. Don't worry, you have lots of time. Trust me, this works! 

Close the lid and cook for 5 minutes or until there are charred grill marks on the bottom. While cooking, keep an eye on the temp. It should be between 350 and 400 degrees. The dough will bubble up and you want it to. Remove from grill with a set of tongs and place it cooked side up on the bottom-side of a baking sheet or on a peel.

You can grill the crust ahead of time or top and bake right away. Set aside while you prepare the toppings.

Lightly brush the crust with olive oil and all the topping (peaches, tomatoes and brie cheese). Remember that the fruit will shrink so don't be afraid to put a lot on. Salt and pepper to taste.

Return to grill. Make sure the grill is 400 degrees and keep it between 350-400 degrees. Grill for another 5 minutes. You want the bottom to be charred but you also want the dough to finish cooking. If the dough gets charred quickly, turn the heat way down to give the dough a little time to cook and the cheese time to melt. Mostly, when the cheese is melted, the crust is done.

Remove from the grill, top with basil and drizzle balsamic vinegar if you are so inclined. Enjoy!

Fried zucchini flower pizza

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With the arrival of summer comes the zucchini. Every year I have way more zucchini then a family could possibly eat. This problem is magnified by "friends" who try to solve their zucchini problem by sharing it with others. Barbara Kingsolver has a funny chapter in her book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle in which she recounts her losing battle against the overabundant zucchini. She might have won if she was only dealing with her own zucchini, but neighbors were kindly dropping more off at her house while she was away.

She writes, " It's a relaxed atmosphere in our little town, plus our neighbors keep an eye out.... So the family was a bit surprised when I started double-checking the security of doors and gates any time we all were about to leave the premises. 'Do I have to explain the obvious?' I asked impatiently. 'Somebody might break in and put zucchini in our house.'"

Despite the inevitable zucchini fatigue, there is no greater pleasure for me than zucchini flowers. Battered and fried, they are such a treat. As I was stealing the male flowers (the ones not attached to a zucchini) from the plants at my daughter's preschool garden, I had a vision of fried zucchini flower pizza. It is delicious and you can even get rid of a few zucchini by grating them and hiding them under the cheese and putting them in the sauce.

 

Fried zucchini flower pizza

6 zucchini flowers

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup club soda or seltzer water

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup red sauce (whatever you like. Make your own tomato sauce or used jarred pizza sauce)

1 small zucchini, grated or chopped

1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

2 tablespoons small basil leaves

salt and pepper to taste

Remove the pistils from the flowers by breaking off the ends and pulling them out. Rinse and set aside to dry.

Make batter by whisking together flour, salt and club soda in a bowl. Dip flowers in batter and remove any extra batter by scrapping along the side of the bowl. Fry in olive oil over medium high heat until golden brown on both sides. The recipe calls for 6 flowers, but there is plenty of batter if you want to do a few more to eat while the pizza cooks!

(You may also use a yeast batter to fry the flowers. Check out this recipe and this one from the cook (almost) anything at least once blog.)

 

Roll out the pizza dough and lightly brush the rim with olive oil. Spread out sauce, zucchini and then cheese. Arrange the flowers on top.

Bake on the bottom rack of a 500 degree oven for 8-10 minutes, until crust is slightly brown. Remove from oven. Add the basil leaves, cut and serve. Enjoy!