Dayrecipe Food Community

DIRECTIONS

In a serving bowl whisk together vinegar and salt and pepper to taste and whisk in oil until emulsified. Peel, pit, and chop avocado. Add avocado, romaine, arugula, and onion to vinaigrette and toss to coat.

garnish: fresh thyme sprigs (preferably lemon thyme)

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl stir together garlic and oil and let stand 15 minutes.

With a mandoline or other manual slicer, slice squash crosswise into 1/16-inch thick rounds, transferring to plate.

Prepare grill: Open vents in lid and bottom of kettle grill and put 25 briquets on 2 opposite sides of bottom, leaving middle clear. Oil rack and position with wider openings over briquets. Light briquets. (They will be ready for cooking as soon as they turn grayish-white, 20 to 30 minutes.)

Remove plastic wrap from 2 pieces of rolled-out-pizza dough (if grill is not large, work with 1 piece at a time, keeping remaining piece chilled) and lightly brush dough with some garlic oil. Trying not to stretch dough, carefully transfer it, oiled side down, with your hands to rack of grill. (If it’s a very hot day, the dough may get too soft to transfer easily; if so, pop it into the freezer until firm again, about 15 minutes.) Lightly brush top with some garlic oil. When grilling pizzas, rotate them if 1 side of grill is hotter than the other. Grill crusts, covered, until undersides are golden brown on bottom, about 4 minutes. Flip crusts over with 2 metal spatulas and top each crust with half of cheeses, squash, and thyme. Lightly brush pizzas with some garlic oil and grill, covered, about 5 minutes, or until undersides are golden brown and cheeses are melted.

Garnish pizzas with thyme sprigs and cut into wedges.

To make pizza dough:
In a large bowl stir together 1/3 cup water, yeast, and sugar and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/3 cup water, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 3/4 cups flour, cornmeal, and salt and blend until mixture forms a dough. Knead dough on a floured surface, incorporating as much of remaining 1/4 cup flour as necessary to prevent dough from sticking, until smooth and elastic, 5 to 10 minutes.

Alternatively, dough may be made in a food processor. Proof yeast as described above. In food processor process yeast mixture with 1 3/4 cups flour, cornmeal, and salt until mixture forms a ball, adding more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, it too dry or more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, if too wet, and knead dough by processing 15 seconds more.

Put dough, prepared by either method, in an oiled deep bowl and turn to coat with oil. Let dough rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk, and punch down. Form dough into 4 balls. Makes enough dough for four 10-inch thin-crust pizzas.

To roll out pizza dough for grilling:
Lightly brush a baking sheet with olive oil.

On a lightly floured surface roll out 1 ball of dough 1/8 inch thick (about 10 inches in diameter). Brushing off excess flour, transfer dough with your hands to baking sheet and cover surface completely with plastic wrap. Repeat procedure with remaining dough balls and plastic wrap in same manner, stacking rolled-out pieces on top of one another on baking sheet. Wrap baking sheet with more plastic wrap to ensure that dough is completely covered. (Chill dough until firm, about 1 hour, and up to 4 hours.)

DIRECTIONS

Prepare grill:

Open vents in lid and bottom of kettle grill and put 25 briquets on 2 opposite sides of bottom, leaving middle clear. Oil rack and position with wider openings over briquets. Light briquets. (They will be ready for cooking as soon as they turn grayish-white, 20 to 30 minutes.)

Remove plastic wrap from 2 pieces of rolled-out pizza dough (if grill is not large, work with 1 piece at a time, keeping remaining piece chilled) and lightly brush dough with some oil. Trying not to stretch dough, carefully transfer it oiled side down, with your hands to rack of grill. (If it’s a very hot day, the dough may get too soft to transfer easily; if so, pop it into the freezer until firm again, about 15 minutes.) Lightly brush top with some oil. When grilling pizzas, rotate them if one side of grill is hotter than the other. Grill crusts, covered, until undersides are golden brown, about 4 minutes. Flip crusts over with 2 metal spatulas and top each crust with half of Fontina, corn, bell pepper, poblanos, pancetta, or bacon, and scallions. Grill pizzas, covered, about 5 minutes more, or until undersides are golden brown and cheese is melted.

Top pizzas with coriander and cut into wedges.

To make pizza dough:
In a large bowl stir together 1/3 cup water, yeast, and sugar and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/3 cup water, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 3/4 cups flour, cornmeal, and salt and blend until mixture forms a dough. Knead dough on a floured surface, incorporating as much of remaining 1/4 cup flour as necessary to prevent dough from sticking, until smooth and elastic 5 to 10 minutes.

Alternatively, dough may be made in a food processor. Proof yeast as described above. In food processor process yeast mixture with 1 3/4 cups flour, cornmeal, and salt until mixture forms a ball, adding more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, if too dry or more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, if too wet, and knead dough by processing 15 seconds more.

Put dough, prepared by either method, in an oiled deep bowl and turn to coat with oil. Let dough rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk, and punch down. Form dough into 4 balls. Makes enough dough for four 10-inch thin-crust pizzas.

To roll out pizza dough for grilling:Lightly brush a baking sheet with olive oil. On a lightly floured surface roll out 1 ball of dough 1/8 inch thick (about 10 inches in diameter). Brushing off excess flour, transfer dough with your hands to baking sheet and cover surface completely with plastic wrap. Repeat procedure with remaining dough balls and plastic wrap in same manner, stacking rolled-out pieces on top of one another on baking sheet. Wrap baking sheet with more plastic wrap to ensure that dough is completely covered. (Chill dough until firm, about 1 hour and up to 4 hours.)

To roast peppers:
Using a long-handled fork char peppers over an open flame, turning them, until skins are blackened, 2 to 8 minutes. (Alternatively, broil peppers on rack of a broiler pan under a preheated broiler about 2 inches form heat, turning them every 5 minutes, until skins are blistered and charred, 15 to 25 minutes.) Transfer peppers to a bowl and let stand, covered, until cool enough to handle. Keeping peppers whole, peel them, starting at blossom end. Cut off tops and discard seeds and ribs. (Wear rubber gloves when handling chilies.)

DIRECTIONS

In a blender or food processor purée half of large tomatoes, 1/2 cup bell pepper, 1/4 cup cucumber, 2 tablespoons onion, garlic paste, cumin, and jalapeño. Transfer purée to a bowl and stir in cherry tomatoes with remaining chopped large tomatoes, bell pepper, cucumber, and onion. Stir in vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. (Chill gazpacho, covered, at least 3 hours and up to 1 day.)

In a saucepan of generously salted boiling water boil shrimp 30 seconds, or until just cooked through. Transfer shrimp with a slotted spoon to a bowl and cool. (Shrimp may be cooked 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.) Chop shrimp and stir into gazpacho.

Before serving, thin gazpacho with ice water and top with croutons and garnish.

For basil croutons:
In a blender or small food processor purée basil and oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

On a baking sheet toss bread with basil oil and bake in middle of oven, shaking baking sheet occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes, or until croutons are golden brown and crisp. Season croutons with salt and pepper. (Croutons may be made 3 days ahead and kept in a sealable plastic bag in a cool dry place.) Makes about 2 cups.