For the Love of Cheese – Vegetable Flatbread with Asiago and Gruyère

Growing up, every Tuesday and Thursday we ate Bert’s Beans for dinner. Refried beans that my father actually re-fried in a skillet with probably too much oil, we would wrap them in homemade tortillas and slather on hot sauce. As the refrying process neared its conclusion and dinner was almost ready, he studded the beans in the frying pan with three quarter-inch hunks of Monterey Jack cheese. They melted beautifully, sometimes forming a crusty frico where the cheese seared on the bottom of the pan. When I filled my tortillas, I always went for the cheese.

I love cheese, especially the chewy-gooey, meltiness of cheeses such as mozzarella, Gruyère, and Monterey Jack. Sometimes I crave the cheese covering a dish as much as the dish itself. Case in point, French onion soup. The savory broth and soft onions are delicious of course, but in my eyes are simply a flavorful vehicle for a thick coating of salty, melted Gruyère, burnished in spots by the direct heat of the broiler. There’s nothing like that first rich bite.

When we visited our daughter in Berlin during her college days, we stopped at a random donner kebab restaurant. In addition to a traditional sandwich stuffed with shaved meat from a rotating spit, we sampled a vegetarian version packed with halloumi cheese. It was excellent. This semi-hard Cypriot cheese can be lightly fried or seared giving it the perfect texture for a salad, sandwich, or simply to eat paired with a bit of fig jam. It’s saltiness the ideal balance to the sweetness of the jam. Similarly, I bake a round of brie with fig jam, dried figs, nuts, and cranberries, a delicious mess to be scooped on crackers or bread.

Mozzarella sticks, while not exactly high-end food, are the essence of what’s so good about the consistency of cheese. Essentially warmed melty cheese contained by a fried breadcrumb coating and dipped in tomato sauce, what could go wrong? Delicious, but almost unnecessary. (It’s especially good homemade, with one-inch bocconcini – balls of fresh mozzarella.) Similarly, when I make lasagna, I pack the inside with mozzarella and pile an extra thick coat on top. It’s all about that stretchy, cheesy texture in every bite.

One of our local Mexican restaurants makes an incredible birria quesadilla packed with braised beef and the exact amount of cheese for the perfect cheese pull. It is excellent, dipped in the small cup of consomé that accompanies it. Yet I am not a fan of that melted orange stuff ladled over nachos or Cheeze Whiz that some purveyors add to their Philly cheesesteaks. It’s too fake and doesn’t provide the same chewiness in your mouth as real cheese. While it may not be too classy, I would not say the same about American cheese.

And of course, we must consider the cheeseburger. While any melting cheese is good, the most appropriate variety, in my humble opinion, is simple American. I’ve never understood restaurants that try to take their burger up a notch with other cheeses and refuse to offer American cheese, when it’s really the best option. A couple of slices, melted to perfection so it sticks to your front teeth in a good way, just a little in every bite providing the perfect mouth feel. Frankly, it’s the same with an omelet as well.

And how could we talk about melted cheese without discussing pizza? I love a slice with an extra thick covering of molten mozzarella. I’m partial to grated, low-moisture mozzarella on a typical pizza, but there’s nothing wrong with a slab of fresh mozzarella melted over a simple sauce on a fancier margherita pie, topped with a few fresh basil leaves, or even a pesto or mashed potato pie. Once you get out of the danger zone when you might sear the top of your mouth, that first hot, salty bite is divine.

You may have noticed that I have focused on cheeses that are ooey and gooey, and some may think these are the only characteristics I care about in a cheese. But this is not the case. My love of cheese extends beyond melting cheeses; I am always game for a tasty fine cheese on bread or crackers (although maybe not the stinkiest of the bunch). But that is a subject for another post.

Vegetable Flatbread with Asiago and Gruyère

I have no idea what the difference is between a pizza and flatbread, but when our friend Sandy served us one with roasted vegetables a few weeks ago, it got me thinking. With an abundance of vegetables and lacking tomato sauce, this was a canvas for cheeses other than typical mozzarella. For my re-creation, I went for two melting cheeses with a little more flavor and character – Asiago and Gruyère. However, almost any melting cheese will do. You can also vary the quantity depending on whether you want the emphasis to be on the vegetables or cheese.

As for vegetables, I use whatever I have on hand. The selection is flexible, as long as they can withstand a sear in a skillet and the heat of the oven. A touch of balsamic vinegar on the vegetables adds a welcome hint of acidity to cut the richness of the cheese. However, it also adds moisture. Therefore, I strain the vegetables after cooking in the flavor to drain the liquid, making for a drier, less messy result.

And for the crust or flatbread or whatever you want to call it, make one yourself, use a pizza dough from a local restaurant (as I do here), or buy premade flatbread on which to pile your toppings. It doesn’t really matter, as it’s only a structure to hold the vegetables and of course, the cheese.

makes one 18-inch flatbread or pizza, about 1 hour, including time to heat pizza stone

4 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

1 large onion, sliced

1 red, orange, or yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips

8 oz. button mushroom, sliced

1 small head broccoli, cut into 1-inch florets

1 small green zucchini, cut into 1-inch chunks

12 cherry or grape tomatoes

½ tsp. kosher salt to taste

½ tsp. fresh ground black pepper

½ tsp. dried basil

2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced, pressed, or grated

1 pizza dough, about 1 lb., or other type of crust or flatbread

¼ to ½ lb. Gruyère cheese, grated

¼ to ½ lb. Asiago cheese, grated

fresh basil for garnish

1. Place pizza stone or steel in cold oven and preheat to its hottest setting 500 to 525 ^oF. It should heat up for at least a half hour and preferably a full hour for the crispiest crust.
2. While the stone or steel is heating, warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a 10 to 12-inch heavy skillet over high heat. Add the vegetables one at a time starting with the ones that will take the most time to cook. (I have listed them in an appropriate order above.) Stir to combine as a new one is placed in the skillet. Add salt, pepper, basil, and balsamic vinegar and cook until onions, peppers, and mushrooms are soft and others are just tender. Allow to cool slightly then place in a colander to drain most of the liquid. Set aside.
3. Combine remaining three tablespoons of olive oil and garlic in a small bowl. Set aside.
4. Stretch pizza dough into a rectangle or circle about 18 inches in diameter, leaving a little extra dough at the edges for the crust, if desired. Spread olive oil-garlic mixture in a thin coating over top and bake for about 5 minutes on pizza stone (popping bubbles if necessary) until bottom of crust starts to brown.
5. Remove from oven with a pizza peel and cover with vegetables, almost to the edges. Top with grated Gruyère and Asiago cheeses.
6. Place back on the pizza stone in oven and cook until cheeses are melted and crust is fully cooked, about 5 minutes. Top with torn fresh basil and serve hot.

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