summertime, 2

One of the best things about summer is the abundance of fresh figs.

grilled pizza and figs
We organized a playdate for our friends' kids (ok, the kids are way to young to actually know what a playdate is - it was more of an excuse to get together with their parents), and had some grilled pizzas. L&E brought over some figs from their neighbors tree, and those were amazing. The pizzas were good too. Nothing you haven't seen before. [Mozzarella, tomatoes (from my mom's garden), basil.]
[grilled pizza with mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil, figs, green salad with nectarines and almonds]

condo living

So, we live in one of those new high-rise condos in downtown, and it turns out, it's exactly like they advertised. Who knew? (We may not have decided to live here, had we realized.) Tall, beautiful people, walking around in their bikinis. And then there's us.

eggplant and sausage pizza | salami, red pepper, and goat cheese pizza
I love how crisp the crust gets with the grilled pizzas. It's almost like a cracker crust. I tend to overload them a little because I get greedy with the toppings. I've included the pizza dough recipe here. Toppings are up to you.

Pizza Dough for Grilled Pizza
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup water (8 ounces), room temperature
- 2 cups bread flour (11 ounces), plus more for work surface
- 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour (optional)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 1/4 teaspoons table salt
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast

1. Combine oil and water in liquid measuring cup. In food processor fitted with plastic dough blade or metal blade, process bread flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, salt, and yeast until combined, about 5 seconds. With machine running, slowly add liquid through feed tube; continue to process until dough forms tacky, elastic ball that clears sides of workbowl, about 1 1/2 minutes. If dough ball does not form, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time and process until dough ball forms. Spray medium bowl lightly with nonstick cooking spray or rub lightly with oil. Transfer dough to bowl and press down to flatten surface; cover tightly with plastic wrap and set in draft-free spot until doubled in volume, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

2. When dough has doubled, press down gently to deflate; turn dough out onto work surface and divide into 4 equal-sized pieces. With cupped palm, form each piece into smooth, tight ball. Set dough balls on well-floured work surface. Press dough rounds with hand to flatten; cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.
Recipe from Cook's Illustrated magazine.

pizza dough

In preparation for a "build-you-own-pizza" party we were hosting, I made a bunch of pizza crusts.

pizza dough
Pizza dough is fun and easy to make. The stretching is the tricky thing. I made a bunch of individual sized pizza crusts (medium thickness) before figuring out how to make a great thin crust. It requires some patience, since you have to keep waiting for the dough to relax before stretching it out a little further.
[you can find the recipe here.]