Patio Nights & Grilled Pizza

SAM_3570One of the things I like most about summer is the long days. It’s so nice to come home from the office and still have time to enjoy the sun–wether it be through a short jog, dinner on the patio, or merely seeing the light of day shine through the window. And with these warmer nights, we’re starting to use our patio more. Last week we hosted some friends for dinner and grilled gourmet pizza out on the patio. It was a super scrumptious meal, and better yet–we were in good company.

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[Pesto, burattá, peach, arugula and olive oil]

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[Left half: pesto, fontana cheese, tomato, rosemary. Right half: pesto, sheep & goat cheese, caramelized onions, mushrooms, rosemary]

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[Pesto, sheep & goat cheese, caramelized onions, salami]

When hosting friends, I like to cozy-up our home and spruce-up the table with some pretty flowers; I love to play house! Given we were hosting outdoors, more picnic style, I separated a bouquet of Ranunculus into small mix-matched mason jars for a more casual setting. Ranunculus are some of my favorite flowers, along with Peonies (which are also currently in season).

Rather than pre-make the pizza we thought it would be fun to create a spread of ingredients, where our friends could make their own pizza varietal. We did pre-cook a few items like the onions and mushrooms, but otherwise it was easy-breezy prep work. This approach is particularly nice if you’re crunched for time and looking for a simple meal. Plus, the activity of creating your pizza and the interaction it affords can serve as a form of social entertainment. After we selected our toppings we placed the pizza on the grill for about five minutes. Viola!

Pizza Ingredients:

  • Naan bread (an easy option for pizza crust, and super tasty!)
  • Pesto sauce
  • Burattá (mozzarella is a budget friendly alternative)
  • Shredded Fontina
  • Sheep & goat cheese
  • Genoa salami
  • Yellow peaches
  • Arugula
  • Sliced tomatos
  • Carmelized onions
  • Sauteed mushrooms
  • Rosemary

I have to say, out of all the pizzas we made, my favorite was the pesto, burratá, peach and arugula combination–so tasty!  Grilled pizza paired with a glass of rosé is the perfect way to spend an evening with friends on the patio. If you’re looking for some ideas on how to entertain this summer I highly recommend grilling pizza; and feel free to get creative with your toppings–there is no right or wrong way to make a pizza, which is freeing for people, like me, who aren’t savvy in the kitchen. Hope you enjoy.

Bon appetite! xo

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