DO you guys like cheese?
How about wine?
How do you feel about combining both of these things on a patio during the warm months of summer?
I hope the answer to all of those things are “I LOVE THEM PLEASE KEEP THE PATIOSPIRATION COMING.”
Good! Because today starts the first of many posts brought to you on the new patio I just refreshed.
Now I don’t want to give the whole patio away because it isn’t completely finished, but we did get the big pieces assembled and wanted to use it as an excuse to bust open a glass of rosé and have a DIY His and Hers Pizza night outside last weekend after I finished my living room style challenge with At Home!
Sometimes staying in and cooking is much more fun than going out. I would wager to say that it’s cheaper, but I sourced all of these ingredients at Whole Foods so I was probably better off ordering in from Antico’s (expensive local Neopolitan pizza place) than making it at home.
BUT Antico doesn’t let me customize my ‘za with a bunch of veggies and artichokes, plus I didn’t want to have the meat lovers variety like my boyfriend wanted to make.
#notCompromising
His and Hers pizza nights are great when you don’t want to share and want to have a cooking night in. I don’t know why but lately I’ve been on a veggie kick and I just want to put veggies on and in everything. My smoothies have started getting extra handfuls of kale in them, my quiche has been loaded up with tons of arugula and now I decided to add some tangy artichokes and squash to my typically traditional Margherita pizza.
I’ve also been obsessed with putting basil on everything. This spring veggie pizza was made with a quick pesto base and then I added tomatoes as an accent and it reminds me of the Spring Pizza I made last year, but a little different.
The boy went for the traditional meat lovers with cheese, the antithesis of my veggie loaded pizza. Both delicious versions of pizza, but it was great to do a DIY pizza customized to that day’s current cravings. I also love that he’ll indulge in a glass of rosé with me even though he’s chowing down on a meat-filled pizza.
That’s compromise.
If you’ve been around for a while you’ll know that I love the Luna Nuda brand. This year their rosé vintage is absolutely stunning! It’s this rich red color and full of flavor without being overly sweet. A perfect compromise to those who want to drink a refreshing white and have a little pink accent to their dinner table.
Did you know that rosé is best drank in the year that the vintage is from? Not all wine gets better with age so make sure you find an excuse to pop that bottle open within the year it was bottled! Little bits of knowledge for your Wednesday!
- 1/2 of a pre-made pizza dough (can be
- 1 bunch of basil
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 squeeze of fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 heirloom tomato thinly sliced
- 1/2 of a yellow squash thinly sliced
- 1/3 bunch of broccolini heads trimmed
- 3 ounces fresh mozzarella sliced
- 1/3 cup of artichoke hearts
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1/2 of pre-made pizza dough
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- 1/2 heirloom tomato thinly sliced
- 4 ounces of mozzarella sliced
- 4 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 4 ounces of serrano ham
- salt & pepper to taste
- fresh basil for garnish
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Preheat your oven as high as it goes but don't put it on broil. For me that was 550°F.
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If you have a pizza stone, put that in the oven as it comes to temperature, if not cover a baking sheet in aluminum foil to transfer the pizzas in the oven.
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1) On a floured surface, mold and shape your dough into an oval.
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2) In a food processor, combine olive oil, basil, garlic, and lemon and puree until combined. Once combined, spoon evenly over the pizza dough leaving 1/2 inch of crust uncovered.
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3) Layer on your sliced tomatoes, squash, and broccoli. Then layer on your mozzarella, being sure not to completely cover the veggies.
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4) Finish by topping with artichoke hearts and salt and pepper.
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1) Mold and shape your dough to an oval and then lightly brush on olive oil to the crust leaving 1/2 inch of crust exposed.
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2) Sprinkle on minced garlic and then top with sliced tomatoes and mushrooms.
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3) Layer on your sliced mozzarella, covering the majority of the tomatoes. Then layer on the sliced serrano ham. Lightly salt and pepper the top.
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1) Place both pizzas on the top rack of your oven, and set a timer for 8 minutes. These will take about 13-15 minutes to cook. You want to be sure to rotate them half way through so they cook evenly. A pizza stone will help you get a nice, solid crust.
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2) Pull the pizzas out when the crust has achieved some nice browned/ blackened pieces to it.
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3) Let cool for 5 minutes before cutting.
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4) Serve immediately.
