The Best Pizza Yet

Who doesn't LOVE pizza? If you don't, you are lying. Seriously, stop trying to pretend you are better than everybody else. There is nothing to not like. My Mom always made homemade pizzas. I didn't even eat a pizza she didn't make until I was probably 9 or 10, and even then, we would beg for homemade. My Mom's pizza is still the epitome of how homemade is always best. Whether you like it thin 'n crispy, doughy with lots of cheese, or with a foccacia crust with just a drizzle of olive oil and toppings - there is something for every one.

And this is mine. I do love all sorts of pizza. The only pizza I don't like is when the crust is so thin it is like a cracker, or there isn't a lot of flavor. This pizza just puts together everything I love not only about pizza, but about food in general. Fresh ingredients, awesome flavor combos, local produce/cheese, and something a little different and exciting.

The pizza crust I use comes from the Pioneer Woman. I bought her cookbook a few years ago before I had any idea who she was - and now she has her own TV show. Figures, she has some awesome recipes! I do use whole wheat pastry flour though. Here is a link to her crust. Then when I roll it out or stretch it out in the pan, I use a whole lot of cornmeal. I like working the cornmeal in to the crust as well as using it as a non-stick element. It gives the pizza a great crunch!

My sauce was simple - just a little olive oil. I do love red sauce, but there was so much going on here, there wasn't really room. Over the olive oil I sprinkled some asiago cheese. On top of that, I put some grilled zucchini. By the way, this whole pizza is cooked on the grill. I had never done that before, and it came out awesome. Being it is so hot out I was glad not to turn on my oven! So, I grilled the zucchini first, and then put the pizzas on after they were all assembled. After the zucchini went on, I put the whole thing on the grill. Tip: chose a cookie sheet or pan that fits on your grill - make sure it fits. This is something I would normally forget, so I was pretty proud of myself for checking first.

The pizza cooked on the grill for about 10 minutes, and then I put the rest of my prepared toppings on. I don't have a lot of pictures because I really didn't think I'd write a post about this pizza, but after it was made, I just had to share it. I had a bunch of fresh herbs, including basil and parsley, that I chopped up. Then I had some garden fresh tomatoes that I chopped and drizzled with some balsamic vinegar. So these things went on the pizza for just a few minutes along with some local goat cheese. I wanted them to warm up a bit but not wilt. So after those stayed on a couple minutes, the pizza was done!

It had a nice chewy dough with crispy crust, delicious fresh produce, and a great creamy cheese on top. It just doesn't get any better.

There really is no recipe for this. You just have to make what you love. Use what you have. Be different and fun. Enjoy!