GRILLED PIZZA SALCHICHA

MAKES 4 PIZZAS

EVERY YEAR WE HAVE A FIELD DAY at Field Roast, when the staff heads outdoors to enjoy a little friendly competition and grilled pizza. I’m seeing a lot of home pizza ovens and pizza stones in the food magazines lately, but really all you need to make a killer pizza at home is a basic grill. The thing to know here is you’re going to put these on the grill twice: the first time to par-grill the dough so it’s firm, and the second time you’ll add your sauce and toppings and put it on the grill again to warm the toppings and melt the cheese. Once you get the hang of these, having a pizza party at home is a great excuse to have friends over and fire up the grill: simply par-grill a bunch of crusts, lay out seasonal toppings, and everyone can get down to business. While I call for Kite Hill soft cheese here, any vegan brand will work just fine. Likewise, use any vegetables or toppings that inspire you—it’s hard to go wrong.

3 tablespoons vegan butter

Leaves from 2 sprigs thyme

2 teaspoons sea salt

½ pound mushrooms (oyster, chanterelle, shiitake, or whatever combination you prefer), cleaned with a brush or towel and sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons blanched almonds, chopped into a coarse meal

3 sprigs dill, large stems removed, roughly chopped

Leaves from 4 sprigs oregano

2 ounces (about 2 cups) fresh basil leaves, stems removed

⅓ cup plus ¼ cup olive oil

All-purpose flour, for dusting

1 pound Slow Poke Pizza Dough (here) or your favorite vegan pizza dough, removed from fridge about 1 hour before you plan to grill

7 ounces Fennel and Garlic Sausage (here) or Field Roast Italian Sausage, crumbled

¼ cup pickled peppers (I like Mama Lil’s)

3 to 4 ounces favorite soft vegan cheese (I like to use Kite Hill for this)

1. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and add the thyme, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and the mushrooms. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the mushrooms are soft and begin to brown. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

2. In a blender or food processor, combine the garlic, almonds, dill, oregano, remaining teaspoon of salt, basil, and ⅓ cup of the olive oil. Puree until it creates a smooth pesto.

3. Sprinkle a little flour on a work surface and roll out your dough into one or multiple portions. Brush the dough on both sides with a liberal amount of the remaining ¼ cup of olive oil. On a grill over high heat, stretch out the oiled dough until the portions are almost translucent. Allow the dough to cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the crust is rigid enough to flip. Then, flip the crust, grill for a few seconds, then transfer to a board with the crust’s most grilled side up. Spread on some of the pesto, followed by the sausage, mushrooms, peppers, and vegan cheese. Return the crust to the grill to cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the grill, slice, and serve immediately.

CHEF’S NOTE: To avoid having your pizza stick to the grill, make sure to brush the grates with oil as well as both sides of your dough, and make sure your grill is nice and hot.