Roasted Grape, Fennel and Blue Cheese Flatbread

Summer is here! I love roaming the produce section at the grocery store this time of year because everything is at the peak of freshness. With that said, with all the ingredients available it’s fun to play around with different flavors. I especially love combining sweet and salty components because it’s a perfect balance. Pizzas can be topped with so many things but it’s a good opportunity to think outside the box. In this case, I combined sweet roasted grapes with creamy blue cheese and caramelized fennel and topped it with fresh Italian parsley and lemon juice. Paired with a simple salad, it’s a quick and super yummy dinner that’s ready in no time.

Here’s what you need:

8 oz. whole wheat pizza dough (or 1 ready made whole wheat pizza crust)
1 bunch seedless red grapes
1 bulb fennel, tops removed and cored, sliced thin
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 Tbsp. Italian parsley, chopped
Juice of one lemon
Olive oil

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 450.
2. Place grapes on a cookie sheet with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and roast for 15-20 minutes until they start to “pop”. Remove from the oven and let rest. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the sliced fennel and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the fennel is slightly golden brown, stirring occasionally.
3. Roll out the pizza dough and lay on a pizza stone or a greased cookie sheet and bake 5-10 minutes (until just starting to set).
4. Brush the crust with olive oil and top with the roasted grapes, caramelized fennel and blue cheese and bake 5 minutes more.
5. Finish the pizza with chopped parsley and lemon juice.

YUM.