Picnic Instead
Okay, so not only did the gnocchi not turn out so well,–a doughy, sticky mess–but also, last Friday when I was supposed to make it, it was absolutely gorgeous outside, and David and were both home early. So instead of chaining myself to the kitchen, I made some impromptu picnic food and headed to the park with my husband. In lieu of describing my gnocchi disaster (which I hope to rectify soon, just not that night), I thought I’d share this idea because it turned out to be so yummy. A couple of caveats: 1. Don’t take this to a fancy dinner party; it is terribly messy. 2. Do not eat it if you are afraid to use your hands; otherwise you may never get any cheese in your mouth.
Alright, with that said, here’s what I did. We had ball of fresh mozzarella that I’d been meaning to use all week, a tomato from the farmer’s market, leftover phyllo from the spinach pie, and a delicious abundance of basil in my backyard. So…I quickly whipped up some pesto, rolled the mozzarella in it, and wrapped the whole thing in phyllo sheets, brushed with butter. While it was baking (at 375 degrees), I sliced the tomato and tossed it with a little bit of olive oil, a clove of crushed garlic, and a lot of Kosher salt. I let the phyllo-wrapped cheese bake until golden, about 20 minutes.
Now, granted, if you don’t like getting your hands dirty, this is not the picnic food for you. We used a knife to slice the cheese into what turned out to be gobs of flaky phyllo and gooey pesto-cheese, and piled the gobs on top of the tomato slices. Pesto oil and tomato juice dripped everywhere, we both had green stains on our hands and mouths, but we also had plenty of napkins (and red wine), and it really was so delicious. I’m sure there’s a less messy way to combine all of these flavors, but for this late afternoon picnic, this method turned out just fine.
On this beautiful Friday, I’d like to wish a happy birthday to my brother-in-law. I hope it’s this pretty in LA, Jon!