Our first cool front of the year makes outdoor cooking and dining all the more appealing, and a quick flatbread pizza was just the ticket.

Grilled Mushroom Flatbread with Rosemary & Ham
1 fresh or frozen and thawed pizza crust or flatbread of your choice
2 Tbsps dried wild mushrooms, soaked in hot water and squeezed dry
1 tsp fresh rosemary needles, roughly chopped
1/2 cup prosciutto or other ham
olive oil
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Brush crust with olive oil on both sides and place on charcoal grill for a couple of minutes. Turn and top with mushrooms, rosemary and prosciutto or ham. Grill until bottom is blistered but not quite blackened.

Remove and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Wine Pairing: I went with a bottle of TAZ Vineyards 2006 Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County ($25), which offers a subtle earthy, mushroom edge to ripe plum and red berry fruit and toasty vanilla and baking spice notes. Long, plush finish. Ready to drink now and over the next couple of years. Locate this wine online or in your area.

(Note: One of my resolutions with this new site format is to provide more pictures of the food that goes with the wine! As soon as I can find the camera in all this hurricane excitement, that’s exactly what I’m going to do!)