Summer is nearly here, bringing long days, warm nights, outdoor meals, and festival season. Every year around this time I get nostalgic for a Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival trip I took back in June 2008 with three close friends. The memory is equal parts fond and ridiculous: sleepless nights, improvised cocktails, sunburns, and a few wardrobe choices that looked better in the moment than in photos.
Festival life suited me more than I expected. I’m adaptable, an okay camper, and I can embrace the carefree hair and clothes that festival culture encourages. My friends and I rose with the sun—camp heat made sleeping past seven impossible—and spent mornings playing games, sipping cocktails, and soaking in the chaotic, friendly atmosphere. Afternoons were for heading to the stages. I’ll admit I didn’t always stand through entire sets; I perfected the art of the “dirt nap” in front of the stage, which still counts as being at a show.
What I loved most about Bonnaroo was the energy: great music, a warm communal vibe, and the freedom to nap and drink cocktails wherever we pleased. What disappointed me was the food. In hindsight our group was short-sighted—focused on booze and not on bringing proper food—so we relied entirely on festival vendors. While greasy festival food can be a guilty pleasure, by the third day I was worn down from funnel cake, street meat, and fried everything.
I remember sitting cross-legged before a Metallica set, wrapped awkwardly in a sweater and eating a hot dog, wishing for something fresher. That’s when my friend Maisie and I stumbled on a vegetarian stand selling grilled vegetable quesadillas. Watching vegetables char on a grill felt like a miracle amid the deep-fried chaos. The whole-wheat quesadilla they handed me—with warm veggies and melty cheese—felt like salvation. It was, quite possibly, the best thing I’d tasted that weekend. Energized, we made it through late-night shows and the rest of the festival.
Years later, I recreated that festival find at home: Grilled Vegetable Quesadillas with Goat Cheese and Pesto. I skipped any odd ingredients I suspected were in the original and used real cheese and fresh vegetables instead. These quesadillas are loaded with grilled zucchini, summer squash, red pepper, onion, and Portobello, layered with basil pesto, gooey mozzarella, and tangy goat cheese. Using whole-grain tortillas keeps them feeling a bit lighter, and grilling them adds a smoky note perfect for warm weather.
Bursting with fresh grilled vegetables, melted mozzarella and creamy goat cheese, these are the classiest quesadillas you’ll make this season. A smear of garlicky basil pesto lifts the flavors, and cooking them on the grill gives a nice char and smoky finish. They work as an easy weeknight dinner or sliced into wedges as an appetizer for a summer gathering. If you’re camping with a portable grill, they even make a practical festival or campsite meal.
Grilled Vegetable Quesadillas with Pesto and Goat Cheese (Serves 4)
Preparing your quesadillas:
– Toss the sliced vegetables with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season lightly with salt and white pepper.
– Place the vegetables on a hot grill or in a grill pan. Grill about 3 minutes per side, until they are just tender and have a bit of char.
– Remove the vegetables from the grill and let them cool for about 5 minutes, then chop into roughly 1-inch pieces.
– To assemble each quesadilla: spread one tablespoon of pesto over a tortilla. On half of the tortilla sprinkle ¼ cup mozzarella, add a quarter of the grilled vegetables, and crumble 1 ounce of goat cheese on top. Add another ¼ cup mozzarella and fold the tortilla over.
– Place the assembled quesadilla on a lightly oiled grill or grill pan. Cook about 3 minutes per side, until the tortilla is crisp and the cheese has melted.
– Slice into wedges and serve warm.
Ingredients
- 1 small zucchini, diagonally sliced into ¼ inch pieces
- 1 small summer squash, diagonally sliced into ¼ inch pieces
- 1 red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed
- 1 small red onion, sliced into ¼ inch rounds
- 1 large Portobello mushroom, cleaned and sliced into ½ inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and white pepper
- 4 whole grain tortillas
- 4 tablespoons pesto, divided
- 2 cups part-skim mozzarella, divided
- 4 oz goat cheese, divided
Instructions
- Prepare the vegetables: toss with olive oil, salt, and white pepper.
- Grill vegetables about 3 minutes per side, until tender and lightly charred.
- Let cool 5 minutes, then chop into roughly 1-inch pieces.
- Assemble each quesadilla: spread 1 tablespoon pesto on a tortilla, top half with ¼ cup mozzarella, ¼ of the vegetables, and 1 oz crumbled goat cheese. Add another ¼ cup mozzarella and fold.
- Grill the quesadilla on a lightly oiled surface for about 3 minutes per side, until the cheese melts and the tortilla is crisp. Slice and serve.