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Looking for a great summer appetizer idea?

© Chris Knight

Have you ever been in this situation? You have invited some people over for a casual lunch/dinner, you have dragged the grill out of the dusty garage, and you have it fired up and ready to burn. You have the table set and ready to go, the wine is chilled, the beer is popped, etc etc... You want everyone to enjoy the meal, you want the WOW reaction, but all you have to put down before the meal is a typical garden salad!

I am not trying to down salads. They are a staple in almost any meal, and they have been around nearly forever, and with good reason! There is nothing more fitting to the opening of a meal cooked on the grill than a bowl of crisp iceberg lettuce, with red onion rings and tomatoe wedges and sliced cucumbers sitting on the picnic table. HOWEVER if you want the WOW reaction that all cooks are looking for, you might consider broadening your horizons just a little bit, and trying something a little more unique.

Now, this is something that is going to take a little preparation time in the kitchen before the actual meal, so if you plan on trying this, you might want to give yourself an hour or so the day before, so that you have everything ready to go.

Instead of the typical salad, why don't you try a Grilled Pizza to start the meal? Sound complicated? Not really!

The first thing that you want to do is decide what sort of "toppings" that you are going to want on the pizza. For this article, I will give you the example of a special that we are having this week, a grilled pizza with a roasted garlic base, chopped tomatoes, shiitaki mushrooms, and smoked gouda cheese. You can try anything that you want, though.

Here is the Grilled Pizza Appetizer: I have provided links to the following recipes to use for this pizza.

Roasted Garlic: http://suite101.com/mypage.cfm/achefskit...

Shiitaki Mushrooms: http://suite101.com/mypage.cfm/achefskit...

Grilled Pizza Dough: http://suite101.com/mypage.cfm/achefskit...

Diced Tomatoes: http://suite101.com/mypage.cfm/achefskit...

Shredded Gouda: http://suite101.com/mypage.cfm/achefskit...

ON THE DAY OF THE COOKOUT: Unfortunately, you will have to use your oven to finish the pizza so the toppings themselves can heat, and the cheese can melt.

Take the grilled pizza shell, and coat it liberally with the roasted garlic. Place the diced tomatoes around the dough, and spread the mushrooms evenly throughout the pizza. Finally, spread the shredded cheese evenly over the pizza, and place in a 350 degree oven for about 4-5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.