Warm weather brings an irresistible urge to dine outdoors & an appetite for seasonal menus calls for dishes made with fresh ingredients.
"Seasonal" can also apply to schedules that may find you running or relaxing. Either way, uncomplicated meals made at home with simple ingredients are smart & healthy and offer the perfect opportunity to sit down together and give thanks.
Artisan Gardner is a nod to Laura Gardner ~ a friend & fabulous cook! There is a liveliness in Laura's cooking. Partly due to her genuine love of preparing good food & her seasoned career in the culinary & hospitality industry, but mainly it's her generosity and ease in which she entertains.
A casual invitation to dinner at the Gardner's fills us with joyful anticipation! We just know it's going to be good ~ and it's definitely a collaboration. Her mouth-watering menus are always earthy & regional and Mr. Gardner's wine pairings beautifully complement the meal & elevate the evening. They are quite a team in the kitchen & in real life!
You may be wondering why all the beet photos. Well ~ It's because they're in season and because Grilled Beet & Goat Cheese Pizza was on the menu! Since Laura prefers to cook off-book & I'm a visual gal, I grabbed my iPhone and started snapping away!
Here is the result with recipe & instructions below.
Grilled Beet & Goat Cheese Pizza
{Ingredients}
Serves 4
4 medium-sized Beets with greens
Dough
{White or Wheat ~ Fresh or Packaged}
Corn Meal
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Goat Cheese
Provolone Cheese
Dried Figs
Sea Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper
{Directions}
Wash beets & greens. Remove greens & set aside.
Peel beets with a paring knife or vegetable peeler.
Slice to medium thickness using a mandolin.
{be smart & use the guard}
Toss with S&P and 2 tsp. olive oil.
Chop greens.
Toss with S&P and 2 tsp. olive oil.
Let dough rest at room temp and then separate into sections for individual pizzas. Gently press the dough into rustic shapes.
Let the dough rest again as it will bounce back a little. Prepare a sheet pan sprinkled with cornmeal to prevent dough from sticking.
Place pizzas on pan & prepare cheeses.
Grill the beets over medium-high heat, flipping & rotating until they start to spot or blister.
Over medium-high heat, place individual pizzas on the grill for approximately 4 minutes or until the underside becomes golden brown and easily releases from grill.
After a minute, you can lift an edge and peek underneath. You want a slight char around the edge, which adds a lot of flavor!
Flip the dough back onto a pan with cornmeal so uncooked side is facing down.
Spread the top grilled side of dough generously with goat cheese.
Layer with the fresh chopped greens & grilled beets.
Top with dried figs.
Top with provolone cheese.
Place pizzas back on the grill for another 4 minutes to brown underside of the dough. Cover with a lid during this time to allow the cheese to melt.
Best when served hot off the grill!
These were quite filling so a sliced heirloom tomato with fresh basil & sea salt would be a great side & as always, a selection from J. Lohr Vineyards is the perfect compliment to any meal prepared by Artisan Gardner!
I hope you're looking forward to a great summer weekend! Get your grill fired up, dial up your favorite music, gather together and enjoy some chewy, crispy & smoky Grilled Beet & Goat Cheese Pizza!
Remember - cooking at home is not about perfection. It's about cooking what you like, how you like and for who you like.
Bon appetite!
