End of Summer Grilled Pizza

We made this pizza in the heat of mid July on a night when the sun didn't set until nearly 9:00; we took our time putting together the pizzas while everyone gathered in the kitchen sipping beer and sneaking pieces of cheese and slices of tomatoes as we chopped away. This pizza came out of a surplus of eggplant and zucchini that Erica had received at the farmer's market and is a great way to use up the last of those summer veggies that are lingering around as we transition over to sweet potatoes, squashes and winter greens.

We chopped fresh herbs and let them marinate in olive oil while we prepared the veggies. We simply sliced and sauteed the eggplant on the stove for a few minutes on each side to cook them.  To assemble the pizza we rolled out the pizza dough and placed it on the grill, spread the herb and oil mixture on, layered zucchini, eggplant and tomato slices, covered with slices of cheddar and then closed the grill to allow everything to heat and meld together.

Grilled pizzas are the epitome of summer and are versatile in the way that you can put whatever you would like on them. So perhaps make one last grilled pizza this season before the grills get put away and enjoy the warmth of the grill on an autumn night.

Grilled Pizza with Summer Veggies
this is a super versatile recipe and you can feel free to put whatever mix of toppings and cheese you'd like

One small zucchini sliced in 1/4 inch discs
A few handful of cherry tomatoes, quartered
4 small eggplants, quartered
olive oil
herbs of choice
cheddar cheese, sliced
pizza dough

Allow your pizza dough to rise before using.  Slice up your vegetables.  Chop your herbs and cover with olive oil, enough to spread over pizza crust.  In a frying pan on the stove, saute your eggplant in olive oil with a bit of salt and pepper for a few minutes on each side until they start to soften.  Heat up the grill and place pizza dough right on the edge with a bit overhanging to allow for flipping.  Let dough cook for a few minutes on one side. Once it starts to crisp up flip the pizza dough.  Spread oil and herb mixture, layer on veggies and place cheese on top. Close grill and let pizza cook another few minutes until cheese is melted and dough is cooked all the way through.