Grilled Pizza Party!

We have a really awesome little group of pals here, and I feel So Super Lucky to know them. We often meet up for the farmers market on Wednesdays, but we also try to have a potluck every couple months. Since we are all officially Foodie Dorks, we always like to have a theme. This time, the theme was Grilled Pizza. YES. My kind of party.

Each of us came with some toppings for a couple of pizzas, to share with everyone else. It was so fun - because we all got to try out fun and different delicious pizzas. Before we got cooking the actual pizzas, we also grilled up some toppings - zucchinis, red onions and pineapples. By the way, have you ever had grilled pineapple? It is SO AMAZING. I kept nibbling on it like a fiend. 

I hadn't ever had or made grilled pizza before, but Alana assured us all that Jake had a great technique. Friends, she was not lying. Here's Jake putting the first batch of mini pizzas on the grill.

First you grill it on one side, then you flip them over and put the toppings on, and cook it some more. Oh my god, that was seriously some of the best pizza dough I have EVER eaten. It was crazy, crazy good. This is the recipe that Jake used. Also, he offered these helpful tips:

Important points: 

1) Use "00" flour if you can find it.

2) Brush olive oil on each side, otherwise it will burn before it cooks through

3) Start the grill at medium-high heat and then reduce to a medium-low heat. You need good radiant heat from the lid and sides to cook the ingredients.

The first pizzas we made had a crazy and delicious roasted-red-bell-pepper-and-strawberry (!!!) sauce with grilled veggies on top. Here they are getting put together...

Making pizzas is messy business!

Here are the pizzas all cooked up. Sweet Turnip was a very good girl and didn't steal anyone's pizza slice. Believe me, she was nicely rewarded after dinner with some special treats! Isn't she a cutie?

Speaking of cuties, this little guy was keeping us amused while we waited for more pizzas to be ready. What a big smile!

This was my contribution - because I am a traditionalist. A layer of super powerful tomato conserva (made with last years tomatoes!), tofu ricotta, fresh shredded basil, and fresh sliced tomatoes. Mmm. Also, you can see that naughty temptress, Grilled Pineapple, in the back.

The pineapple was finally put to use on a BBQ Pineapple Pizza - with tempeh chunks, grilled pineapples, BBQ sauce, and a little delicate spattering of Daiya cheeze. I'm always going for the classics when it comes to pizza, but I loved this! It was fun to try all these crazy pizza flavors and find out that I really liked them. :) 

Finally, we also made a Pepperoni Pizza! Alana made some amazingly delicious vegan pepperoni (From the Vegan Guide to Substitutions) - and along with some tomato sauce and a little Daiya, it was a really yums pizza!

I also made a big salad. I stuck to something simple, since I knew we'd be stuffing our faces with loads of pizza - a ginormous bowl of romaine lettuce, a bunch of white beans, and some Cesar Chavez dressing from "Appetite for Reduction."

Last, but not least!, Sophia made some super good peanut butter linzer cookies - some with chocolate ganache on the inside, some with raspberry cream frosting inside, and some with both. Mmmm. Also, aren't they adorable?! 

It was such a delicious meal, a really beautiful evening, a wonderful time with great friends... a perfect summertime party. Mr. Vegan Eats & Treats and I just couldn't stop talking about it for days. I'm so grateful for my wonderful friends (and for their excellent culinary skills!)