My husband is originally from Los Angeles and loves to grill out, rain, shine and even snow. He believes every dish can benefit some way from coals (he’s a purest) or wood, be it savory or sweet. Two weeks ago we were lazing around the house on a weekend, trying to decide what to serve some friends who had responded to a last minute dinner and “come watch the game” invite at our place. Pizza came to the forefront, but neither of us felt like going out to the store and none of the places that deliver had a pie that sounded the least bit appetizing.
We decided it’s never too early in the season to light up the Weber and, inspired by a recipe in Tamara Murphy’s new cookbook, "Tender: farmers, cooks, eaters" thought we’d let the barbecue recreate a taste akin to a wood fired pizza oven. We also rationalized that it would be fun to let everyone choose their favorite toppings and pile them on in whatever manner or quantity seemed appropriate. I whipped up a salad and when our guests arrived, we got cooking. The overwhelming consensus was that this group were thin crust lovers, so we rolled out the dough into a free form shape (how do those pizza makers get that perfect circle?), vaguely round and about a foot in diameter.
Using a pizza paddle it was then slid onto the grill, and per Tamara’s instructions, our hungry group hovered until bubbles begin to form on the top. Then using our fingers, we flipped the dough over. At that point we brushed the crust with some olive oil, added the toppings and some cheese to the top of the crust and closed the Weber lid. Five minutes later we had a hot grilled veggie pizza. It tasted amazing – crunchy crust, a hint of smoke and it disappeared in an instant. Next round we tried a thicker crust, added some red sauce and sausage. Bingo – another hit. The final pie was straight from the cookbook, with wild mushrooms and fresh rosemary and thyme. OMG – we thought we had died and gone to heaven.
Now teetering on the brink of seriously full, our attention turned towards sweets and it was someone’s inspired idea to see what we could come up with as a dessert pie. Scrounging around the pantry and fridge, we mixed and matched ingredients. After flipping the dough on the barbecue, this time we brushed the top with a little melted butter, thinly sliced apples, sprinkled it with a little sugar and then topped it with some caramel sauce and toasted walnuts. Talk about comfort food – each of us savored every warm, ooey gooey slice.
The best part – as no pots and pans were used, there was very little mess to clean up afterwards. It’s a meal that can be tailored to anyone’s taste and with whatever ingredients your heart desires or you have on hand.
For more information or to purchase "Tender: famers, cooks, easters" visit this link.
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