Summer Fresh Grilled Pizza

Do I even need another reason to love summer?  I mean there is the time to regroup after the school year, the warm weather for walking outside, the unfettered time to sew, the time to reconnect with friends and family...

And now... How about these pizzas that we made tonight with ingredients from our garden and the farmer's market.

Ummmm....Yummm!!!!

We have purchased these delicious focaccia at the farmer's market before, but have never grilled them.

Pair with a combo of homegrown and farmer's market tomatoes, some grilled japanese eggplant from they garden and some delicious cheese from whole foods and you get an amazing veggie dinner!

A plate of veggie deliciousness!

Here is the rough recipe for the 2 types of "pizza" that we created tonight.  Feel free to experiment with your own combinations.

Roasted Veggie Focaccia

1-2 Japanese eggplants, sliced in 1/4 inch slices and brushed with fat-free Italian dressing

8-9 small roma tomatoes

5  red onions cut into 1/2 inch slices

1 red pepper cut into large wedges

1 12 inch focaccia 

3-4 Tbsp feta, olive salad (We bought ours at Whole Foods)

(I also threw on some broccoli that we had left over.)  

1.  Brush eggplant slices with the Italian dressing.  Brush the onion slices, peppers, and tomatoes with olive oil. 

2.  Place in a single layer on a grill pan and grill over medium high heat for about 5 minutes, turning once. Keep a close eye on veggies so they don't over cook.

3.  Layer veggies on the focaccia rounds with roasted veggies and top with cheese

4.  Grill on a medium-hot grill until just warm.  Watch this very closely.  You do not want the bottom of the bread to burn.

Caprese Focaccia

2 large heirloom tomatoes

1 large ball of fresh mozzarella packed in water (Buffalo mozzarella would be even better if you can find/afford it!)

Fresh basil

1.  Slice the tomatoes and layer onto the focaccia covering the entire top.

2.  Add the fresh mozzarella

3.  Top with basil, some kosher salt and pepper

4.  Grill as above

(Easy, right?)

What are your favorites to feast on during my favorite summer season?  Leave a comment and let me know so that I can try that too!  Have I mentioned that I Love Summer?!  :-)

Sweet mama! Now that is summer!

Farmers market tomatoes and fresh mozzarella and basil from my garden. 'nuff said.

More Farmer's Market Treasures

Tonight was one of our favorite meals - Swiss Chard, Potato and Parmesan Frittata.  I got the beautiful rainbow chard at the farmer's market on Saturday and it really needed to be used tonight.  So I pulled out the trusty recipe that I found on Susan Russo's Food Blogga site.  And here is the beautiful result!  A hit every time!

Swiss Chard, Potato, and Parmesan Frittata

Served with a mixed greens and herb salad with strawberries, blueberries and some slivered almonds, it is the perfect dinner for the hot weather we have been having here in NoVA.

Swiss Chard, Potato and Parmesan Frittata

1 small red potato, diced

1 small bunch Swiss chard, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups - I use more)

1-2 teaspoons olive oil

1 shallot or small yellow onion

6 eggs (Egg Beaters or whites are also fine)

1 tablespoon each fresh basil and parsley, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

a few dashes of salt

1/4 cup part skim shredded mozzarella cheese 

(I use whatever is in the cheese drawer.  Tonight it was some shredded pepper jack)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, divided

Par boil the potatoes by cooking them in a small pot of boiling water for 3 minutes or until barely fork tender.  Spoon the potatoes out into a bowl and put the swiss chard in the potato water to steam/wilt for about 2 minutes.  Drain the chard and press to get some of the water out.  

Over medium-low heat, add olive oil to an 8 inch non-stick skillet.  Add shallots and potatoes; saute until golden brown, about 5 min.  Add swiss chard and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a small bowl; add fresh basil, parsley, red pepper flakes, salt, mozzarella, and half the parmesan cheese and gently whisk until well combined.  Pour the egg mixture into the skillet.  With a fork, gently move the egg mixture from side to side as it begins to cook to ensure that it cooks evenly.  Do this until the eggs start to solidify and a crust begins to form around the edges.  This take about 5-8 minutes.  Give the pan handle a jiggle and when the eggs appear nearly set, remove the pan from the stove top.

Sprinkle the top of the frittata with remaining half of parmesan cheese and place under the broiler.  (Be sure that your pan has an oven-proof handle or wrap it in foil to protect it.)  Broil for 4-5 minutes, or until the top begins to puff up and turns golden brown.  Keep a close eye on it so it doesn't burn.  Once nicely browned, let cool for a couple of minutes before slicing.  

Serve hot or at room temperature.  Enjoy your summer time feast!

Bonus post:  

Last night I got treated to dinner at my sister's house.  She made some amazing Thai-spiced Red Snapper.  

Doesn't that look like something from a fancy restaurant!  How lucky am I to have my sis right down the street!  

Oh...I found the freezer paper at Shopper's Food Warehouse this afternoon while I was replenishing our poor empty fridge.  So...I should be able to make some progress on the crazy pieced pillow tomorrow. I have a few errands to run in the morning then I'm going to try to carve out a bit of time for sewing.  The first week of summer is always a big catch-up week for me.

Hope everyone is staying cool in the heat!