Grilled Watermelon Pizza with Stone Fruit, Quick-Pickled Shallots, Walnuts and Blue Cheese
Who wants to fire up the oven when it’s hot outside? Not me! You can grill just as easily and not have to worry about heating up the house.
Make this cool, refreshing fruit pizza for a post-swim snack or happy hour. You’re sure to get some ohhs and ahhs!
If you are looking for dairy-free options, simply leave off the cheese.
Grilled Watermelon Pizza with Stone Fruit, Quick-Pickled Shallots, Walnuts and Blue Cheese
While we usually like to keep our fruits raw, sometimes summertime calls for throwing fruit on the grill! Grilling fruit brings out its natural sugars, giving the fruit more of a caramelized flavor. Pairing grilled watermelon with savory, quick-pickled shallots and salty, creamy and flavorful cream cheese makes for a salty-sweet treat that’s perfect for the dog days of summer. One personal-sized watermelon makes about 12-16 wedges, depending on size.
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 1 shallot sliced into rings
- 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp. sugar
- 2 tsp. Sigona’s Navel orange fused olive oil plus more for drizzling (formerly called for Sigona's blood orange fusion olive oil)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 or 2 nectarines or peaches halved, pitted and sliced into about 16 wedges (or at least 1 per pizza wedge)
- 1/3 cup roughly chopped walnuts
- About 1/2 to 3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese or gorgonzola
- 3 Tbsp fresh tarragon chopped
Instructions
- Preheat an indoor or outdoor grill over high heat.
- Mix together the vinegar and sugar in a small bowl. Add the shallots, mix together and set aside for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. After marinating, discard liquid and set aside.
- Slice the ends off the watermelon so a good portion of the red fruit is exposed on both ends. Slice the melon into disks about 1- to 1.5-inches thick.
- Brush the watermelon slices with oil and sprinkle salt and pepper. Grill the melon for about 4 minutes per side or until nice grill marks appear. Do not cook much longer as melon will become too soft. Use a high heat in order to sear the melon. Remove grilled melon and set aside to cool slightly.
- Cut the watermelon into wedges, as if a pie or pizza, at least 4 per slice, and arrange the watermelon wedges on a serving tray. Top each wedge with a slice of stone fruit and a couple rings of pickled shallot. Sprinkle the dish with crumbled cheese, walnuts and chopped tarragon. Drizzle the entire dish with blood orange oil and serve immediately.
Notes
Sigona’s infused olive oils and balsamics are available in our markets and online at www.sigonas.com.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
