It's Melts Like Butta - Butter Lettuce

I discovered butter lettuce a long time ago and I have to say I'm a fan.  It's also known as Boston, Bibb, Tom Thumb and Buttercrunch lettuce, and when it hits your mouth it literally melts like butter.  It's not course or bitter like some lettuces, but has a rather mild taste and smooth texture. I bought this big pack of Butter Lettuce at Costco, we go through a lot of lettuce in this family and I wanted to switch it up a bit.  These big heads came three to a pack, is hydroponically grown (in water not soil) in a greenhouse, and one head fed three people.  The grocery stores have great selections, you have to spend some time in the aisles to find and try new things.  Be not afraid, step out of your usual box, there is a whole world of goodness out there to try!

I used my lettuce to make a simple salad of lettuce, meaty Roma tomatoes and fresh mozzarella.  I then dressed it with kosher salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Easy to make and it's good!

Pizza On The Grill

This is something new I tried this year on the grill, pizza!  It was alot easier than I thought is was going to be.  With a few store bought items, I didn't want to go through the process of making my own dough and sauce if it didn't work out as I had planned.  But to my surprise, they were great, enjoyed by all and will be on the menu again soon with homemade dough and sauce.  This is how I made them.

I cut my whole wheat dough into four equal pieces.  Then rolled them out on a floured board and got them on the grill. I didn't oil the grill, and they didn't stick, lucky me!  After you get them all on, top with your sauce.

Start layering on  your toppings.  My son the pescetarian, wanted baby kale, red pepper and Vidalia onion.  I caramelized the peppers and onions in olive oil and then added the kale in the last few minutes of cooking.

 His pizza is topped....

 And so were ours, the rest of us had Margherita pizzas, with fresh mozzarella and fresh basil from the garden.  I used all the burners on my grill turned on low heat, and closed the lid.  I let the pizzas cook for about thirty minutes, depending on your grill.  Check on them frequently so they do not burn.

 My only tip - put the basil on the pizza at the very end so it doesn't dry out.  Very good pizza, and it was really easy to do.  The crust was crispy, not tough, and tasted like pizza you get from a pizza oven.  Try it, you'll like it!

The Margherita Pizza

 The Veggie Pizza

Easy Caprese!

I had a huge box of grape tomatoes that I got at Costco and I knew that outside of putting them in a mixed salad, I would probably end up throwing them out because they would go bad.  I had just picked some fresh basil out of my herb box on the deck, the last of it I am sure of the season, and my brain clicked, Caprese Salad! This would also be good as an appetizer, cube the mozzarella or use Bocconcini (small mozzarella balls), toss with the other ingredients and serve in small cups with appetizer forks.  So flavorful!

I washed all of the tomatoes.

 This fresh mozzarella is great, it's already sliced for you, all you do is open the package!

 Layer in any pattern you like, grape tomatoes on the side, sprinkle with salt and fresh cracked pepper, drizzle with olive oil and top with sliced basil,

DONE! Easy Caprese