HERBY SPRING VEGGIE GRILLED PIZZA

Preheat grill to 400 degrees.

Cut the woody ends off the asparagus (about ⅓ up from the bottom) and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.  Season with the salt and toss to coat.  Place on the grill and cook for 1 minute.  Lightly turn and cook for 1 minute more until browned but still crisp tender.  Remove and set aside.

Form the dough into a 12-14” round or similar shape.  Note that shape will be altered slightly when you place it on the grill so no need to obsess over a perfectly round pizza!  It will be organic in shape and delicious in taste regardless.  Try not to make any areas overly thin as they may rip when you transfer to the grill.

Place the dough on a large cutting board (for easy transfer from kitchen to grill).  Brush the top of the dough with a thin layer of olive oil.  Gingerly, lift the dough from one side and quickly place it, flipping it so the greased side is down, directly on the grill.  You have a few seconds to pull it into shape on the grill.  Close the lid and cook for 2 minutes.

Using tongs and a spatula, flip the dough over on the grill (crust will now have some rigidity and gorgeous golden grill marks).  Cook for one minute until the crust is firm, but not browned on the bottom like the top.  The bottom of the crust will cook again and brown after you add the toppings.  Remove to your cutting board.

Spread the soft herb cheese over the top of the crust.  Top the cheese evenly with the asparagus and peas, followed by the mozzarella.  Sprinkle with the black pepper.  Slide the pizza back on to the hot grill.  Close the lid and cook for 4-5 minutes until the cheese is melted and pizza is crisp and bubbly.

Remove to the cutting board and top with baby arugula leaves.  Drizzle with more olive oil and the balsamic glaze.  Dust with the parmesan cheese. Cut into slices and serve.

Pizza Dough

Place olive oil, honey, and water into the bowl of a stand mixer.  Stir to dissolve honey into the water (so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the bowl).  Sprinkle the yeast on top of the liquid mixture, stir, and let sit for 5-10 minutes until yeast becomes foamy.

Add salt and 2 ½ cups of the flour. Mix using the dough hook attachment. Gradually add as much of the remaining flour as needed until a ball forms. Empty dough onto a floured countertop and knead for 8-10 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic adding flour as needed if sticky.

Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel.  Let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour until doubled in bulk.  Knead dough briefly and divide into 2 equal parts and form balls.  Let rest for 30 minutes under a clean kitchen towel.  If you are not using both balls, refrigerate each ball in a plastic bag sprayed with cooking spray for up to 5 days.