Smoky Meyer Lemon Pizza

It's hard to write down how I feel about the way the days are laying themselves out lately.  I cannot say enough about how I have missed the sunshine for long stretches, and even though many days or portions thereof are still cloudy (so much of the winter was cloudy and dreary, don't you think?), the glimpses of spring sunshine hold great promise...longer and warmer days, the meltdown of snowy piles, the appearance of awakening landscapes, those early and brilliant yellow and purple crocuses, and the feeling of getting a chance to renew (and maybe do better).  In her wisdom, Mother Nature offers us an opportunity, on many levels, to try again.  I am grateful.

When I was teaching, I used to read John Updike's A Child's Calendar to my students.  This beautifully illustrated book (Trina Schart Hyman) takes a poetic look at one year, sharing the essence of each month.  For April, Updike writes in part:

It's Spring. Farewell
To chills and colds!
The blushing, girlish
World unfolds

Each flower, leaf,
And blade of turf--
Small love-notes sent
From air to earth.

And though the poem continues, I think you might get my drift.  Dearest Spring, It is with profound relief that I bid farewell to your predecessor and joyously welcome you into my life.

Our grill was buried much of the winter, and we rarely shoveled around it.  So except for a time or two, we pretty much ignored our Weber... but, not now!  Thank you Spring!

I have posted about my favorite pizza crust here.  With few ingredients, the dough is not fussy.  Recently, after preparing the dough, I let it proof for many hours because I was out hiking.  When I finally had time to take a look, the dough had risen and the surface was quite bubbly.  After punching it down and allowing it to rest, I began to assemble this luscious, Smoky Meyer Lemon Pizza.  I also prepared a Dilled Sour Cream, Salmon, and Caramelized Onion Pizza because the recipe yields dough for two good-sized pizzas.

Notes

1.  I used a Meyer lemon because I had one, but a regular lemon will do.  Just try and slice it as thinly as possible.  Don't forget to remove the seeds and discard the ends.

2.  I used Smoked Gouda, but you could certainly use smoked mozzarella.

3.  The pizza dough was finger-pressed and then rolled into a rectangular shape, but it can be round or free-form...you and your dough will work it out :)

4.  When we make pizzas in my house, they are always grilled outdoors.  I tell you this because you will need to transport the dressed pizza (to the grill) on a surface after it is rolled out and adorned.  We have used a  pizza peel heavily dusted with cornmeal OR a cookie sheet heavily dusted with cornmeal.  Cornmeal gives the bottom crust a great crunch and allows the pizza to slide off the cookie sheet (or peel) right onto the grill grates.

5.  Set your grill on high and let it pre-heat for 15-20 minutes or alternately use a 475º F oven.  (If you are oven-baking, you will need to bake on a cookie sheet or pizza pan.)

6.  If you are interested in the Dilled Sour Cream, Salmon, and Caramelized Onion pizza, see end note and pic.

7.  The yield for this pizza crust is variable, dependent upon the size you need.  In this post, I was able to create two large rectangular pizzas, each measuring approximately 16" x 10".

Smoky Meyer Lemon Pizza

Pizza crust recipe or use 1 pound prepared pizza dough
1/2 pound (or to your liking) smoked gouda
1 Meyer Lemon, sliced thinly, seeds and ends discarded
Ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil for drizzling
Extra flour for dusting the rolling surface/rolling pin
Cornmeal for dusting the pizza peel/cookie sheet

Directions

1.  Prepare crust.
2.  After dough has proofed and doubled in size, punch down to release gas.
3.  Let dough rest in the bowl for 10 minutes.
4.  Divide the dough in half.  Remove one piece and cover the other.
5.  Flour your surface and place the dough onto the flour.  Begin to finger press the dough into the shape you want.
6.  Then use a rolling pin to flatten to 1/4 inch thick or so.  Refresh with a dusting of flour on the bottom and top as needed to keep from sticking.
7.  Transfer the dough to a corn-meal dusted pizza peel or cookie sheet.  You can do this by rolling the dough around the rolling pin, and then unrolling the dough onto the cornmeal-dusted cookie sheet.
8.  Arrange the lemon slices onto the dough.
9.  Scatter the grated cheese over the lemons.
10.Pepper to taste and drizzle with olive oil.

11. Slide the pizza onto the grill grates and bake for about 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and turning golden brown.  The bottom will be crisp and a bit dark in spots.
12. Using a metal utensil, slide pizza from grill onto a cutting board.
13. Slice and serve...yummy!

14.  Perhaps you'd like another topping option.  Mix sour cream with chopped dill sprigs.  Spread on the pizza dough.  Top with bits of cooked salmon and caramelized onion.  Bake as above.  Drizzle with balsamic before eating.

Dilled Sour Cream, Salmon, and Caramelized Onion Pizza