This week, we've been focusing on embracing the last of the gardening season. Whether we've been working fresh tomatoes into a clever pasta dish or tucking fresh onions and radishes into tacos, fresh is where it's at. And that continues to be the case with this absolutely splendid end of season pizza featuring all the greats: tomatoes, red onions, fresh corn off the cob, and more!
Can you mix this pizza up to make it yours? Yes, although skipping the sliced tomatoes and corn will really change the flavor of what you put on your plate. I adore leaving some of the corn in chunks bits to add an extra burst of sweetness on every slice. This pizza would also be an excellent place to add one or two jalapeños from the garden or candied peppers from your canning stash. I suggest hot honey at the table for anyone missing those items and still wanting a sweet kick with your slice of pizza. The bacon and ham add lots of salty goodness and the blue cheese gives it a tangy bite in every bite!
If you have seasonal fruit - stone fruit, apples, melon, and more all work - have some sliced to enjoy fresh or tossed into a chilled glass of white wine to sip while you embrace the very last of the growing season's warmer weather offerings. Enjoy!
Season's End Pizza
- 1 round of pizza dough (this can be store-bought or homemade - I made mine in my bread machine)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large or 2 medium heirloom tomatoes, sliced thinly
- 1 small red onion, sliced into thin half rings
- 5 slices fully cooked bacon, crumbled
- ⅔ cup diced smoked ham
- 1 cup fresh corn off the cob - about 1 cob's worth
- 1 cup grated Asiago cheese
- 1 cup crumbled blue cheese
- For serving: hot honey
Make sure your pizza dough is at room temperature or slightly warm. Preheat your grill to 500°F or high heat.
Pour the olive oil into a cast iron skillet. Rotate the skillet to fully cover the bottom of the skillet. Place the round of pizza dough in the pan and press lightly to cover the bottom of the skillet; cover with plastic wrap while you prepare the toppings (e.g. slice the tomatoes and onions, cook/cut bacon and ham, remove corn from the cob, and grate/crumble the cheeses).
Remove the plastic wrap from the cast iron skillet and, using your fingers, gently press into the dough to make little divots in the dough and extend the dough at least 1 ½ inches up the side of the skillet. Add the thinly sliced tomato to the base. Add the onion, bacon and ham, corn (no need to fully break apart all of it), and cheeses.
Grill the pizza, covered, on the preheated grill for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is crisp and the cheese is perfectly melted.Allow the pizza to cool another 10-15 minutes before slicing it into 8 slices and serving it with hot honey.
- Yields: 4 servings
- Preparation Time:35 minutes plus dough-making time if making from scratch