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%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ETomato-Onion-Grana-Padano%20Pizza%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EOne%20thing%20I%20was%20hoping%20we%E2%80%99d%20be%20able%20to%20do%20following%20our%20vacation%20was%20to%20make%20one%20last%20jaunt%20to%20our%20local%20beach,%20and%20thankfully%20this%20past%20weekend%20gave%20us%20two%20picture-perfect%20days%20to%20choose%20from.%20While%20everyone%20else%20in%20New%20England%20descended%20upon%20their%20favorite%20orchard%20in%20which%20to%20go%20apple%20picking%20(or%20so%20it%20seemed%20based%20on%20my%20Facebook%20feed),%20we%20spent%20a%20few%20hours%20on%20Saturday%20enjoying%20the%20unseasonably%20warm%20day%E2%80%94warm%20enough%20to%20even%20make%20a%20quick%20dip%20into%20the%20Sound.%20Even%20with%20these%20little%20heat%20snaps%20though%20I%20am%20only%20too%20aware%20that%20we%20are%20in%20a%20new%20season,%20as%20daylight%20is%20slowly%20becoming%20less%20and%20less%20prevalent%20in%20the%20evening%20and%20the%20notion%20of%20turning%20on%20our%20oven%20isn%E2%80%99t%20completely%20abhorrent%20anymore.%20So%20what%20better%20way%20to%20mark%20that%20shift%20than%20by%20cranking%20it%20to%20full%20blast%20in%20order%20to%20make%20some%20pizza?%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EProsciutto-Wrapped%20Figs%20with%20Mint%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EInspired%20in%20part%20by%20a%20menu%20from%20a%202013%20issue%20of%20Saveur,%20we%20kept%20things%20pretty%20simple:%20Negroni%20cocktails,%20arugula-tomato%20salad,%20prosciutto%20and%20mint-wrapped%20figs,%20and%20the%20Joey%20Special%E2%80%94two%20pizzas.%20%20Michael%20had%20the%20idea%20for%20the%20first%20one%E2%80%94a%20simple%20tomato-onion%20pie%20that%20I%20then%20topped%20with%20Grana%20Padano%E2%80%94while%20we%20took%20some%20inspiration%20from%20Franny%E2%80%99s%20for%20the%20second%20and%20made%20a%20meatball%20pizza.%20I%20cannot%20account%20for%20why%20we%20had%20yet%20to%20make%20it%20ourselves%20in%20the%20many%20times%20we%E2%80%99ve%20made%20pizza%20in%20the%20past,%20because%20whenever%20I%20order%20it%20I%E2%80%99m%20always%20really%20pleasantly%20surprised%20by%20how%20good%20it%20is%20and%20between%20the%20two%20of%20us%20we%20can%20make%20some%20really%20tasty%20meatballs.%20Maybe%20we%20thought%20it%20was%20going%20to%20entail%20more%20work%20since%20you%20do%20make%20the%20meatballs%20ahead%20of%20time,%20but%20all%20told%20it%20really%20didn%E2%80%99t%20take%20much%20extra%20effort.%20The%20key%20is%20making%20a%20well-seasoned%20but%20otherwise%20unfussy%20meatball%20so%20it%20will%20balance%20out%20the%20tomato%20sauce%20and%20the%20cheese,%20and%20roasting%20them%20in%20the%20oven%20first%20gives%20them%20a%20nice%20brown%20crust%20that%20is%20then%20finished%20off%20when%20the%20final%20pizza%20is%20assembled%20and%20baked.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EMeatball%20Pizza%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20tomato-onion%20pie%20worked%20not%20only%20because%20of%20the%20cheese,%20but%20also%20in%20part%20to%20Michael%E2%80%99s%20decision%20to%20slice%20the%20tomatoes%20and%20onions%20really%20thinly%20ahead%20of%20time%20and%20letting%20them%20leach%20some%20of%20their%20liquid%20into%20paper%20towels%20instead%20of%20onto%20the%20dough.%20The%20Grana%20Padano%20(on%20sale%20and%20a%20slightly%20less-expensive%20alternative%20to%20Parmigiano-Reggiano)%20was%20able%20to%20get%20some%20good%20browning%20despite%20not%20being%20placed%20under%20a%20broiler%20and%20the%20resulting%20pie%20was%20so%20savory%20and%20satisfying%20that%20I%20had%20to%20stop%20myself%20before%20I%20was%20too%20full%20to%20have%20any%20of%20the%20meatball%20pizza.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20prosciutto%20and%20mint-wrapped%20figs%20proved%20to%20be%20a%20perfect%20appetizer:%20small,%20savory,%20and%20even%20autumnal,%20but%20the%20mint%20added%20the%20right%20note%20of%20freshness%20that%20kept%20things%20interesting.%20I%20was%20inspired%20after%20seeing%20a%20similar%20crostini%20in%20Polpo%20but%20I%20didn%E2%80%99t%20want%20to%20add%20more%20bread%20to%20a%20pizza-filled%20meal.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20meatball%20pizza%20needs%20a%20bit%20of%20work%20(I%20really%20want%20to%20try%20it%20with%20mozzarella%20di%20bufula)%20but%20here%20are%20some%20recipes%20from%20the%20rest%20of%20our%20meal.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ETomato-Arugula%20Salad.%20This%20was%20taken%20the%20next%20day%20as%20I%20had%20natural%20light,%20hence%20the%20pork%20chops%20in%20the%20background.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20salad%20can%20be%20found%20here,%20save%20for%20the%20fried%20dough%20pieces.%20I%E2%80%99m%20sure%20they%20are%20delicious,%20but%20so%20not%20worth%20the%20effort%20for%20what%20are%20basically%20croutons.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ETomato-Onion-Grana-Padano%20Pizza%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E%C2%BD%20recipe%20of%20pizza%20dough,%20proofed%20twice%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ETurn%20oven%20to%20its%20highest%20setting%20possible.%20Warm%20up%20a%20baking%20stone%20in%20the%20process%20or%20use%20an%20upturned%20half-sheet%20pan.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ETake%20%20the%20ball%20of%20dough%20and%20stretch%20it%20out%20on%20a%20cutting%20board,%20and%20transfer%20to%20the%20upturned%20pan%20lined%20wi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