Wonderful Summer Meal

We had some friends over for a late lunch this weekend.  To take advantage of all the wonderful fresh produce we made elote and grilled pizza.

Elote
Elote is a Mexican corn on the cob that I've been dying to make for about a year now.  It's a wonderfully flavorful take on a summertime classic. 

Ingredients
4 ears of Sweet Corn
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1 Lime cut into wedges
Salt
1/2 cup Cotija Cheese, grated (Cotija can be found at a Latin market or possibly your grocers cheese section depending on your area)
               Parmesan or Queso Fresco will work, but try to find the Cotija.
1 Tbs Chili Powder
1 Tbs Cumin

Directions
Start by grilling the corn in the husk for 15 to 20 minutes turning occasionally until the husks are blackened and or the corn is bright yellow.  Remove the husk from the corn (It's compostable!)

Slather the corn with a spoonful of mayonnaise.  Squeeze the juice of one lime wedge and add a pinch of salt.  Sprinkle with the cheese (feel free to be heavy handed) and lightly dust with Cumin and Chili powder.

You can serve off the cob as well if you can't bite into corn or don't have enough floss to go around   ;-).  Cut the kernels from the cob and top with the remaining ingredients.  I'd probably stir afterwords as well.

Grilled Pizza
A delicious, healthy and filling way to make use of the wonderful variety of fresh produce available now.

Ingredients
For the Dough:
1 1/4 cups warm (100 to 110 degrees F) water
2 packages dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons good olive oil
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Optional:  Chopped Fresh Herbs; basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary
1/2 cup good olive oil
Cornmeal

Toppings:
You really use your imagination and include whatever you want here, but here is what we had available:
Good, Fresh Mozzarella
Variety of Heirloom Tomatoes
Basil cut in strips
Prosciutto
Sausage
Bacon
Variety of fresh Peppers
Grilled Eggplant
Cotija leftover from the Elote
Goat Cheese
Avocado
Garlic infused Olive Oil
Olive Oil infused Garlic

Awesome fresh heirloom tomatoes, mostly from JT's garden.

Directions
For the Dough:
Combine the water, yeast, honey, and olive oil in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook if you have one. Add 3 cups flour, then the salt, and mix. While mixing, add 1 more cup of flour, or enough to make a soft dough. Knead the dough on low to medium speed for about 10 minutes until smooth, sprinkling it with flour, if necessary, to keep it from sticking to the bowl.

When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a floured board and knead by hand a dozen times. It should be smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl and turn it several times to cover it lightly with oil. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into 6 equal parts and roll each one into a smooth ball. Place the balls on a baking sheet and cover them with a damp towel. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.

If you've chilled the dough, take it out of the refrigerator approximately 30 minutes ahead to let it come to room temperature. Roll and stretch each ball into a rough 8-inch circle and place them all on baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal. (You will be able to fit 2 pizzas on each 18 by 13-inch baking sheet.)

Light your grill and wait until it's hot.

Place the pizza dough directly onto the grill and cook on 1 side for 1 minute. Turn the pizzas over and brush with olive oil or garlic oil.

Top the pizzas with any toppings you wish, piling them high.

Drizzle each pizza with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Put the lid on your grill and cook for 5 minutes more, until the crust is crisp and the toppings are cooked.