Handmade Summer Gnocchi

This recipe really made my summer. Its astonishingly simple and has a wonderful flavor pallet.
The handmade gnocchi turn out as smooth as little clouds and build up a foundation for the rucola walnut pesto.
In combination with the quick balsamic tomatoes it is a real banger for relaxing summer nights.

Best served with a glas of good tempered white wine.

All ingredients are in season in summer and fall and can be purchased at any closeby famers marked, even in the city. For this recipie I used all organic ingredients from my trusted weekly market around the corner.
But you can also swap any of these.

Gnocchi:

• 700g potatoes
• 1 egg
• 50g flour + 50 for processing
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• pepper
• nutmeg (grated)

Rucola walnut pesto:

• handfull rucola
• 100g walnuts
• 50g parmesan or pecorino cheese
• 1/3 juice of one lemon
• 1 clove garlic
• 3 tbsp oliveoil
• tsp honey
• salt
• pepper

Basamic-tomatoes:

• handfull fresh tomatoes
• 1-2 tsp sugar
• aceto balsamico

Tools:

• hand blender/mortar
• pots
• pan
• tall plastic cup or jar
• peeler

Set up a pot water, add salt and bring it to boil.
While letting the water heat up, peel the potatoes and slice them into rough chunks. That way they will cook faster.
As soon as the water boils, put in your potatoe chunks and cook for about 20 min until done.

While the potatoes are cooking get a tall plastic cup or a big mortar. I just used a jar I had standing around in my kitchen. Cut the rucola, walnuts into rough pieces, peel the garlic and grate the parmesan.
Put everything together in your jar, add the oil and mix it with hand blender until smooth.

Season with lemon juice, salt, pepper and a little honey.

The honey is my favorite here, it really brings out the flavour!

Drain the potatoes, mash and let them cool down.
It is very important to really let them cool down for a while so the egg wont turn into scrumbled egg immediately.

In the meantime, prepare your surface for rolling. Generously spread the flour.
Also bring a pot of water to boil for later.

Add the egg and 50g of flour to the mashed potatoes, mix them with the hand blender.
Season with salt, pepper, sugar and grated nutmeg.

Take the dough and roll it gently in the flour. You want to form a long roll. You may need a little sensitivity for that.

Cut the roll into fingerthick pieces.

Wash and cut the tomatoes in half.
Get a pan and add some sugar to roughly cover the surface. Put on the heat until it melts.
Add the tomatoes and let them caramelize for a while.
Then pour in the balsamic vinegar and let it reduce.

Throw a batch of gnocchi in boiling water and turn down the heat. Its important not to cook them, otherwise they will dissolve!
As soon as they rise up to the surface, take them out and let them drain.

You are ready to serve!

Serve as you like and finish it with some grated parmesan or pecorino on top.