It has been 2 weeks now and I have been bad about getting this post up, but on September 6th there was another local lady blogger bash and this time it was at my house. I loved every moment of it, the company and food was great. But, sadly, my camera is not very healthy anymore so all the photos have a fog like hue on them. This fog I think is what is the biggest culprit to my blog block. In my attempt to move beyond foggy blog block here are my photos...
After a lot of thought and seeing the post about the blogger on White on Rice Couple's blog I decided to do pizza on the grill. I made plain pizza dough and rosemary pepper pizza dough, homemade tomato sauce, homemade pesto, grilled chicken and other various meats cheese and veggies.
Pizza Crust:
In small bowl add 1 cup warm water, 4 t. yeast, 2 t. sugar 2 T. olive oil. let set for 10 minutes to get nice and frothy. Mean while in a bowl to the kitchen aid, with mixer set with dough hook, add 3 cups flour and 1 t. salt. Once water is ready add to the flour and mix for about 5 minutes, checking Constance of dough while mixing. Dough should be soft but not sticking to side of mixing bowl.Cover dough and let rest and rise for about an hour or until it is doubled in size (I just let it go until I need it, up to 2 hours) press or roll dough out and place in or on desired baking "pan". top with what you like or have and bake at 450 until it is done about 15-30 minutes depending on how thick the crust is.
Pizza Sauce:
Mince a small onion and add it to a sauce pan with 2 T. olive oil over medium heat and saute until the onion is just translucent. Add in 1 T fennel seed roughly ground in a mortar and pistil. when the onions are just starting to brown on the edges add in 3 to 4 cloves sliced garlic and 1 can tomato paste, cook until the past darkens a little and then add in 1 28oz can of crushed tomatoes. Mix until the past is combined into the tomatoes. Add 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, salt and pepper. Let simmer for about 15 then add a handful of fresh basil that has been hut into ribbons. Remove from heat and chill until ready to use.
I also made Mojitos (gone before I could get a photo) and I purchased a sparkling wine called Sergio that I had been eyeing all summer. The sparkling wine was one of the best I have ever had, it was like drinking bubbly wild flower honey, I loved it.
Mojito:
several bunches of fresh mint, 10 limes, sugar, rum, and sparkling water. Squeeze 1 cup lime juice. place 1/2 cup lime juice and 1/2 cup sugar in a sauce pan and heat until the sugar is dissolved, set aside. Place 10 to 15 mint leaves in a 12 to 20oz travel coffee mug (I don't have anything else I can bash in so I use this) with 1 T sugar and lime juice. With the handle side of a wooden spoon and while covering the top of the cup with one hand bash the mint until it releases flavor, is juice and well broken up. Add a shot of rum and bash a little more and strain into a pitcher. Repeat 4 or 5 times until you have a lot of mint "juice". Put the lime syrup, lime juice, 1/2 cup rum (adjust to taste) in the pitcher and top off with about 3 cups sparkling water, some ice, lime slices and fresh mint sprigs. Ok so you will need a really big pitcher for this, I used a big hinged lid jar that is typical used to store spaghetti.
Everything that I had an opportunity to try was wonderful and I thank all these lovely bloggers for a tranquil and enjoyable evening. And if you would like to learn more about them please feel free to follow the bloggers I live near links on the right of this page to their blogs.
Sweet mint tea.
