Summer Lover

My official sponsor for the Summer of 2012.....Absolut Pears.

Grilled Cherry & Brie Pizza

If you make one recipe from this blog, make it this one.

Holy crow, this was delicious (and easy)!

First the pizza dough...

Combine in a large bowl: 1 c. warm water and 2 1/4 tsp. (or 1 package) yeast

When dissolved add: 1 T. sugar, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, 2 T. olive oil and 1 1/4 c. flour.

Beat until smooth. Add: 2 c. additional flour. Knead until elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in greased bowl & let rise until doubled. Form 2 balls. Pat & stretch to about 9 inch diameters.

Now for the toppings....

Melt 2 T. butter in a skillet and add 1/2 of a whole yellow onion, thinly sliced. Cook on low for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Onions should be a deep brown but not crispy when finished.

Simmer 1/4 c. Balsamic vinegar on medium heat for 3-4 minutes until it has a syrup consistency. Set aside.

You will also need 10 slices of Brie cheese, 3/4 c. shredded mozzarella, 1 c. fresh cherries, pitted, and 1 1/2 T. fresh rosemary

And finally, the cooking...

Turn your grill on low heat, place 2 pizza doughs right on the grill grates and cook one side for 5-10 minutes. Flip dough over when brown and crispy. Layer the cooked side with mozzarella, Brie slices, your caramelized onions, cherries and rosemary. Cook for another 5-10 minutes or until cheeses have melted.

Drizzle with balsamic reduction and serve.

We were lucky enough to have fresh tart cherries from our farmer's market, onions from a friend's garden and rosemary from our own garden. Try to get as many fresh ingredients as possible, trust me it's worth it.

Bon Appetite!

Topping recipe courtesy of Little Yellow Kitchen on www.tastykitchen.com (pizza crust recipe courtesy of Ike's mom)

Two Poems

An Ode to Swingin'

You can find me these days

On a hammock that sways

On the front porch of the Colorado House.

In orange, blue and yellow

It has the colors that will mellow

Even the most sourpuss of souls.

Just talkin' 'bout the weather

We're like birds of a feather

Sippin' beer from a mason jar.

Belle is prowlin' round

Except for the birds there's not a sound

Other than an engine roarin' right across the street

You can find me these days

On a hammock that sways

On the front porch of the Colorado House.

photo courtesy of trueblueridge.wordpress.com

McDowell Creek Boys

Head on up McDowell Creek and you might hear,

some guys playin' music that could make you shed a tear.

Earl on his guitar and Ray on mandolin,

Dennis grab your bongo, we all join in.

Stan in the corner pickin' on his bass,

Everyone in earshot has a smile on their face.

We can hear Dave's voice float across the creek,

As somebody whispers, "Hey, there's a party this week."

Their eyes light up, and they just know,

they MUST play this party at Lake Elbo.

So head on up Lake Elbo and you might hear

some guys playin' music that'll make you shake your rear.

written by me