Grill Day

Along with spring and summer come Grill Days and demonstrations.  Various days throughout the summer I partner up with a terrific local business that sells outdoor patio furniture, firepits, grills, smokers, outdoor kitchens, accessories, grill spices/sauces.  You get the idea.  It is the kind of place you want to shop and hang out when creating your patio or deck 'rooms.'

Saturday was our first Grill Day.  One of the owners who is a terrific cook usually grills with me. He does all of the grocery shopping and food prep too! We decided to stray away from our usual beer can chicken and tri tip and offer a more diverse menu...too really show off what these grills can do.  Customers get to nosh while browsing the showroom and outdoor showroom.  Grill Days are popular.

On the menu:  Grilled Asparagus spears with Tammy's Herb Seasoning, Grilled sliced potatoes with Mojave Lemon Pepper, Grilled Quesadillas with mushrooms, garlic, spinach and goat cheese (cook the mushrooms, onions, garlic and spinach in a hot dutch oven right on the grill),  Grilled Pork and Apple Skewers marinated in mustard vinagrette, Grilled pizzas in the Wood-fired Pizza Oven (crispiest crust ever).  We even tried a pizza with strawberries, goat cheese and a sprinkle of sugar and cinnamon.  YUM.

Homemade Pizza on the Grill

I love the grill - even in the winter season. During the summer we grill nearly every day so I had to figure out a way to do one of our favorite meals...pizza outside.

I make my crust - easy recipe - but I've done it with prepared dough from Trader Joe's too. Roll it out into individual pizzas, grill both sides, then top with favorite ingredients. It is perfect for a Friday Night family meal or a party with friends.

Basic Pizza Dough

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 package active dry yeast

1 Tblsp honey

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup semolina flour

1/3 cup olive oil

1 tsp salt

Combine 1 1/2 cups warm water, 1 package of active dry yeast and 1 Tblsp honey in large mixing bowl. I use my Kitchen Aid with the dough hook all the way through this recipe. Let the yeast dissolve - about 5 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 semolina flour, 1/3 cup olive oil and 1 tsp salt. Let the mixer combine ingredients until they just come together then add the remaining flour. Let the mixer knead the dough until it comes together in a nice smooth ball. Cover and let rest in a warm place until dough rises to double, punch down and use or if you aren't ready for it. Let it rise again.

I punch the dough down and take about a lemon size chunk out at a time - roll it on a floured surface and lay the rolled rounds on a cookie sheet to transfer to the grill.Prepare a hot grill. I have a gas grill but have done this on a charcoal fire and in a wood fired pizza oven too. Get the grill hot - 500 degrees or so works best. I brush a little olive oil on the dough rounds and place them directly on the grill grates. It takes 2-3 minutes to get the brown grill marks. Flip and repeat. It will only take a minute on the second side.

Once you have the pizzas grilled on each side, top with your favorite sauce and ingredients and either return to the grill briefly to melt the cheese or stick the sheet pan with the pizzas under the broiler for a few minutes.

Enjoy. The crust is light, thin, crispy. Just like we like it.