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Saturday, July 9, 2016

Grilled Guacamole Naan Bread Pizza




 A rare Friday evening at home.  After a totally crazy week.  I'd had a dinner idea earlier in the week, didn't write it down and lost it.  Until after I had another dinner half done.  Of course.  That's the way my brain works these days.  Thank goodness for being a good note taker at the office. I feel like ideas and thoughts are just popping out of my ears every time a new one enters my brain...  Usually dinner is planned well in advance.  For some reason I failed miserably to get this one totally planned.  So, I opened both refrigerators, checked the pantry and the counter and looked to see what I needed to finish up.  Cantaloupe, peaches, bacon, cherry tomatoes, naan bread and avocados.  Ok, then, how about grilled guacamole naan bread pizzas?  What could possibly go wrong?

And, this time nothing did.  We've always kept a Boboli pizza crust on hand for last minute dinners.  That will now change.  I will keep naan bread in the freezer for a last minute pizza.  And, I will continue to grill it.  Actually, I'm going to have to put it in the freezer to keep it from flying onto the grill and into my mouth!  What a magnificent treat! 

So, here's how it went together...  I chopped up avocados and cherry tomatoes and some little sweet peppers.  Really, any kind of pepper would work here.  Whatever you like or have on hand.  Then, I very thinly sliced half of a red onion. 



The vegetables all went in a bowl and got tossed with olive oil.  Then, they were put in a grill basket. 



The naan bread was put on a half sheet and brushed with olive oil.  The veggies went on the grill just a couple of minutes before the naan.  Once there were good grill marks on one side, the naan got flipped.  And the veggies got tossed about. 



Now, I'd cheated and cooked the bacon too.  Once everything came off the grill I turned it off and closed the lid.  Closing the lid is critical here folks.  The naan got slathered with pizza sauce (we love Rao's or Trader Joe's.) 



Then, I sprinkled the cooked bacon on.  You could use shrimp or sausage or pretty much anything here.  Or, leave it off and go vegetarian.  And, speaking of vegetarian, many veggies would be good here.  I might add some eggplant next time.  Or broccoli.  On top went the veggies. 



Covered with Italian five cheese blend.  Then, the pizzas went back on the grill with the lid closed until the cheese melted.  And that, my friends, was dinner.

Now, for a quick tour of our yard...  A friend from high school and I were chatting back and forth the other day on Facebook about connections with our families and friends.  How recipes, cooking utensils and plants create such connections with those who have gone before us and those who are still with us.  That's the way it is in my yard.  I wander around and see the friends who've given me plants or inspired me to buy a certain plant.  Here's the tour:

 Connie with our reel mower.  No gas.  No electricity.  Just nice, sharp blades.  Much better for the environment!

 A double daylily from the old house.  This one was the only one that I wanted to make sure to bring a start of.  I was thrilled when it bloomed!

 Dave and Mary Ann's bee balm.  He died a few years ago just after they sold their lovely home.  That land is now a cookie cutter subdivision.  And, this is the plant that soldiers on and reminds me of them!
 Coreopsis.  Have never been able to successfully grow it til now!
 Political statements aside, you can see the iris in the background with horseradish and sage nearer and then the pot up front with a collection of surprises.
 Penny McHenry.  Founder of the Hydrangea Society.  Was memorialized in Southern Living when she died.  Got her first hydrangea when her daughter was murdered.  Such a sad story with such a wonderful ending.  She was a delightful lady.  Last time I was in Atlanta at a conference I called her to see if we could get together.  But, photographers from yet another magazine were there to take photos of her garden.  So, we had a lovely last chat.  I think this is the only plant I brought all of.
 Swiss chard.  This plant will feed us wonderful leaves and stems all summer. 
 A new rhubarb.  The starts I brought have not done well so I added this one.
 More horseradish.  Yes, we love the stuff.  And, the plants are stunning!
 Red-veined sorrel.  I brought a couple of tiny starts and finally have enough to pick some.  YAY!!
 Daisies and coneflowers in the top bed.  Some from the old house, some from Tom and John.  The salvia down below is from Tom and John.
 Gaura.  I couldn't divide the plant at the old house so I bought a new one.  The old one was white.  As you can see, this one is a fabulous pink!

 Looking down the south wall at the cannas.  They bloomed all summer and most of the fall last year.
 Mint, thyme and sage.  I'm letting the violets take over the mulch in the herb bed.  It'll be cooler and will give the critters flowers in the spring.
 A pot of variegated pineapple mint, variegated sage and lavender.  YUM!
 Dill in front, followed by parsley, basil and peppers, kale and eggplant, rosemary and tomatoes.
 A tomato we thought we'd lost is coming back.  Along with a very happy basil plant.
 Kale and eggplant.  Due to very limited planting space I was trying to cram too much in...The eggplant is suffering big time.  Fortunately the eggplants in the pot just behind are doing well.  We have about half a dozen eggplants coming on.  And, this kale plant will keep us in kale all summer.
 Rosemary.  What can I say other than it's an amazing herb!
 Black Brandywine tomatoes thanks to the awesome folks at The Garden Center.  They grow starts for me every year.
 Pineapple sage.  Can't wait til this starts blooming.
 Geraniums and lavender.  With mint in the background.
 Cherry tomatoes that got really leggy...
 Shade bed.  And, there's Connie!
 Volunteer sunflower by the bird seed.  LOL.  Not an uncommon occurrence.
 Bugloss from Steve, George and Ellen.  Love the leaves on this.
 Volunteer tomato by the hellebores.  I left it just to see what it'd do...  So far no buds.
 Housewarming gift from Barb and Dave.  Right by the steps so I see it when I zip out to cut herbs.
  A lone coneflower that was in the shade garden.  The previous owners had little knowledge of sun vs shade plants so I've been moving a lot of plants.  This one will move up front to the sun garden.
 Hostas and more hostas.  I've got an area set aside for my favorite hostas that I either need to get from the old house or from the friend I originally got them from.  Fortunately, the folks who bought our house are wonderful!
 Solomon's seal.  These things will eventually fill in the back of the shade bed. 

 One of the prettiest blooms on a heuchera this year.

 The shade garden below the living room window.  We call it cat tv because there's a hummer feeder and bird bath right there with a suet feeder and regular feeder not too far away.  Wee Mac sits in the living room window and chatters away.
 Daylilies from my friend, Cindy.  She let us dig while they were blooming so I'd know I was getting pink and light yellows.  Next year, the Stella d'Oro's will go.  I'm not fond of their dark yellow.
 Suet feeder, gazing ball and more hosta and daylilies.
 End of the astilbe.  For the first year I was amazed at their blooms.  I also put bleeding hearts and some other partial shade plants in here.
 The flag in the middle of the herb garden.  We've got a solar powered light on it.
Connie and the rose of Sharon.  Once the volunteer tulip tree right beside it gets big enough this will go.  And, then, the honey locust can go too.  And, by that time I'm sure the pear will have gone since they're usually only good for 20-25 years and this one is probably about 19 years...  That's ok though since I'd much rather have a tulip tree! 

So, there you have our front yard.  In a couple of years we'll have eliminated most of the grass in the back yard too.  We're firm believers in trying to do what's best for the environment and NOT having  a bad for the environment yard full of grass...

1 comment:

Debra Eliotseats said...

Just love your yard and I think you are a genius for the Naan idea for pizza (that and grilling the avocado!)