Serve the Season: Easy Summer Squash Flatbread

The farmers market is producing at an all time high this month and we’re back for another edition of “Serve The Season” where we take a look at the best produce each month and break it down into an easy yet exceptional recipe to showcase that ingredient. Last month, we whipped up a mouth-watering chilled soup made from July's hottest fruit: avocado.

For August, we’re all about new ways to cook with summer squash. Where zoodles are having their moment, we decided to create a dish that’s a little more party-friendly and perfect for a weekend patio get together: flatbread pizzas!

Squash is most often used as a roasted vegetable, but it is actually quite exceptional when cooked a little al dente. Adding them as thinly julienned matchsticks on top of a quickly grilled flatbread allows their flavor to shine center stage with a crisp fresh bite. This dish is a snap to make, thanks to readily available pizza dough which you can find at most grocery store deli or refrigerated sections. If you can’t find it, try visiting the deli or fresh food counter and see if they have some hiding in the back. By cooking it on the grill, we reach optimal pizza oven-like temps that make for a perfectly thin and crispy flatbread crust that can hold loads of toppings while not getting soggy in the middle. 

Summer squash pairs well with herbaceous notes, so we’ve topped this pie with loads of fresh thyme and manchego cheese. And since we’re celebrating all things squash, don’t forget to sprinkle on the squash blossoms for double the flavor and one gorgeous looking spread.

Preparation

Preheat your BBQ grill on high, ideal temperatures would reach the 400-500 degree range. We get best results from using a cast iron pizza pan that we let heat up in the grill before adding toppings. Sprinkle clean dry surface with flour, roll out ball of dough into a circle using hands and fingers pushing from the center outwards with a pinching motion until approximately ½-inch thick. Lay dough in pre-heated cast iron pizza pan, quickly adding first layer of cheese, summer squash, additional cheese and thyme and chili flakes. Place back into the grill on high heat for 8 minutes.

If using squash blossoms, add these to the top of the pizza after 4 minutes in the grill to allow them to slightly cook. Top with additional thyme and chive blossoms for an herbaceous bite unlike any other flatbread!