Farmer’s Market Pizza & Salad

Larry Pfarr comes to us every week with really fresh recipes using produce and meat from the St. Paul Farmer’s Market. 

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Grilled Green Bean, Tomato & Onion Salad

16 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
2½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1 lb green beans, trimmed
1½ cups red onions, thinly sliced
3 tomatoes, seeded, julienned
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place garlic cloves in small baking dish. Drizzle 2 ½  tablespoons oil over. Cover and bake garlic until tender, about 20 minutes. Uncover; bake until garlic is golden brown, about 10 minutes longer. Cool.

Peel garlic. Transfer garlic and oil to food processor. Process until smooth paste forms. Add vinegar; process until well blended. Transfer to medium bowl. Gradually add 1/4 cup oil, whisking until dressing is thick and smooth. Stir in basil. Season dressing with salt and pepper to taste.

Heat grill to medium high temperature

Toss the green beans with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Use tongs to set the beans in a single layer on the grill. Cook for about 4 minutes, turning them often. The beans should char in spots, but do not let them burn all over. They are cooked when they look slightly wilted and still have some crunch.

Remove the beans from the grill and return them to the mixing bowl.

Add onions and tomatoes. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Serve salad at room temperature.

Grilled Pizza

            Adapted from the Star Tribune (July 22, 2010)

Dough

2 cups wheat flour
1½ cups white flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1¼ cups cool water
2 tablespoons honey
¼ cup olive oil

In a large bowl, combine flour, instant yeast and salt.

In a medium bowl, mix water, honey and olive oil.  Add liquids to flour, mixing with a wooden spoon until combined.  (In a mixer use the dough hook.)

Add additional wheat flour if necessary until the dough comes together in a fairly firm and slightly sticky ball.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Compared with bread dough, pizza dough is actually better if it’s a little under mixed. Knead dough for a few minutes, flouring hands and surface as needed until the dough is smooth and elastic,

Place the dough in a large well-oiled bowl. Roll the dough in the bowl so it is completely covered in oil.  Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise until it begins to look puffy.  Place in refrigerator overnight, or for at least 4 hours.

About an hour before grilling, remove the dough from the refrigerator and turn out onto a lightly floured surface.  Divide dough into five equal parts and shape each into a smooth ball.  Place the balls on an oiled baking sheet, leaving space to expand, Cover them with a dishtowel and set aside.   Use this time to prepare your toppings.

As the grill is heating shape the dough rounds.  Using a rolling pin on a floured surface or with floured hands, stretch each bill into an 8-10 inch circle and place them on separate sheets of floured parchment or waxed paper.  You can stack them.

Heat a gas grill to medium or about 400 degrees.  If using coals you should be able to hold your hand 6 inches over the heat for 3 seconds.  Move the coals so that they heat half of the grate to create areas of direct and indirect heat.

The assembly line approach works best for making multiple pizzas.  Lightly brush one side of a dough round and place it oil-side down on the grate directly over the coals.  Close the grill cover and oil the next round.

After about a minute, open the grill. The first round should look puffy and have grill marks on the underside.  Brush the top lightly with olive oil. Remove and flip it grilled side up onto a cookie sheet.  Quickly spread it with toppings (no cheese yet) and drizzle lightly with olive oil and return it to the portion of the grill with indirect heat.  Place the next oiled round on the grate over the coals.   After about another minute or so, open the grill to check the un-topped pizza.  If it’s ready, remove and add toppings.   The pizza with the toppings can now have cheese (if used) added to it.  Close the grill for another 30 seconds to one minute.  Carefully remove the done pizza to a cutting board and slice.

If you do this in the oven, shape dough and place on a baking sheet that has been dusted with corn meal or place on a preheated pizza stone.   Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Bake for about 20 minutes on a cookie sheet or for about 15 minutes on a baking sheet.

Toppings

The secret to creating great grilled pizza is not too overdue the toppings.  This is not a deep-dish style pizza.   Unique combinations of items and flavors will create delicious and memorable pizzas. 2-3 toppings plus cheese is all that should be used. If red sauce is used, it must be used very sparingly.

Here are a few topping suggestions.  Use your imagination and come up with your own unique combinations

Eggplant – peel, thinly slice and pan fry in olive oil until slightly browned.  Drain on paper towels
Leeks – Wash thoroughly, chop and sauté in olive oil until tender.  Drain on paper towels
Onions – peel, thinly slice and sauté in olive oil until slightly browned.  Drain on paper towels
Mushrooms  - sauté in olive oil until cooked.  Drain on paper towels
Green Onions/ Scallions
Cherry tomatoes – cut in half
Large tomatoes – slice as thin as possible
Spinach
Zucchini – toss with olive oil and grill before putting on pizza.
Jalapeño peppers
Green and red peppers – can be sautéed in olive oil in advance if desired.
Garlic
Thyme
Rosemary
Basil – chop and add to pizza after it comes off the grill.
Pesto  - great with cherry tomatoes and mozzarella cheese.
Boneless, skinless chicken breast cooked and sliced
Sausage - cooked
Pepperoni
Prosciutto
Mozzarella cheese
Feta cheese