It is the peak of summer, when zucchini, eggplant and tomato harvesting is in full swing. When vegetables are freshly picked and taste their best, it’s the perfect time to experiment with your glorious bounty.

One way to use your harvest is to make a delicious pizza. But, chances are that you don’t want to crank your oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit on a hot summer day!

Here comes the magic of your barbeque.

With the right equipment and a little prep work, you can enjoy delicious and healthy pizza outside while you lounge in the sunshine.

Let’s explore the beauty of summer vegetables with a nod to the French ratatouille in my Summer Harvest Ratatouille Pizza.

Summer Harvest Ratatouille Pizza

 

½ cup                   marinara sauce, bottled or homemade               125 ml

½ cup                           eggplant, thinly sliced rounds                      125 ml

½ cup                           zucchini, thinly sliced rounds                       125 ml

½ cup                         bell pepper, yellow, thinly sliced                    125 ml

2 tbsp                                red onion, thinly sliced                               30 ml

½ cup                                    tomatoes, chopped                                125 ml

¼ cup                                     black olives, sliced                                 60 ml

¼ cup                                           feta cheese                                         60 ml

2 tbsp                                 parsley, fresh, chopped                             30 ml

1 lb                                    whole wheat pizza dough                        0.45 kg

 

*You will need extra flour or cornmeal to ensure dough doesn’t stick to pizza peel

1. Place a pizza stone on the barbeque and preheat to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Split dough in two pieces. Taking one half at a time, roll out dough into a thin circle or toss dough to shape if you are more experienced.
3. Place dough on floured pizza peel or flat cutting board.
4. Spoon half of the marinara all over the bottom of the dough and top with half of the eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper, red onion, tomatoes, black olives and feta cheese.
5. Slide pizza onto the pizza stone and bake for 8-12 minutes until brown and bubbly.
6. Top pizza with chopped parsley. Let sit for 1 minute to cool and slices into 8 pieces.

Makes 4-8 servings.

 

You can serve this with your favourite big salad to create a healthy balanced meal.

Enjoy!

What interesting dishes do you cook on the barbeque? Leave a comment below to share your unique recipe ideas!