Grilled Flatbread with Ricotta, Peas, Mint and Lemon

Ingredients:

1 large pizza crust or flat bread of your choice

1 1/2 cups shelled peas

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 1/2 cups crumbled fresh goat cheese or whole milk ricotta

Half a large meyer lemon, seeded and sliced paper thin

1/2 cup shredded hard cheese such as Parmesan, Asiago, or Tomme

Two handfuls of chopped mint leaves

flaky salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Directions:

If you’re using a pre-made crust bring it to room temp. If making your own pizza dough, let it rise, shape, and let rise again as instructed in your favorite recipe. While the dough does the first rise, prepare your ingredients and get your grill situation going; you want some steady, warm coals for this. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350ºF. Par-bake your pizza dough into a soft pizza crust.

After slicing the lemons, place them on an oiled grill until they are a little charred, careful to not let them stick. Or you can broil them in the oven. Set them aside. Put oil in a skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the peas and cook briefly, shuffling the pan a few times, until they’re bright green and crisp-tender, a minute or two. Remove to a bowl and let cool.

Use a wide metal spatula to slide the first crust onto the grill and cook on the first side until deeply bronzed and crisp. This should take about a minute, but peek under the crust occasionally to make sure it doesn’t burn and move it around as needed to brown it evenly. When the first side is cooked, use the spatula to guide it back onto the pizza peel. Flip the pizza over, so the grilled side is facing up, and top with soft cheese, cooked peas, and lemon. (Press the peas into the cheese so they won’t roll off in the next step!) Slip the pizza back onto the grill and cover. Cook, peeking under the crust occasionally and moving the pizza around the grill as needed so it cooks evenly, until the toppings are hot and melted, 2-3 minutes. 

Maneuver the pizza back onto the peel, slide it onto a cutting board, top with the shredded hard cheese, the mint and some flaky salt and pepper, and cut it into wedges. Serve immediately.