Raw Zucchini Salad

It’s that time of year when my kitchen is overflowing with zucchini, so I am always thinking up new ways to use it. You may have tried out my Ratatouille Salad, which has beautiful ribbons of zucchini in it; this time, I made a really quick and super simple salad with some of the same ingredients, but simply julienned all the raw vegetables, similar to a slaw — you can do this on a mandoline if you have one. This makes a great starter or side dish, but also can be a fresh and tasty topping for grilled chicken or fish.

Get feta cheese packed in brine for this recipe and be sure to save the brine — we’re going to use some of it for the dressing and then refrigerate or freeze the rest for another recipe that I’ll be posting in the future!

Serves 4

1 medium zucchini

1 medium yellow summer squash

1 medium cucumber

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled (don’t forget to reserve that brine!)

1/3 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon feta cheese brine

1 teaspoon fresh dill, chopped fine

1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Julienne the zucchini, yellow summer squash, and cucumber into strips about 2 inches long and put into a serving bowl with the feta cheese.

2. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, feta cheese brine, dill, lemon zest, and salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and feta and toss together gently. Serve immediately.

Carla’s Tip: Don’t forget about edible flowers that you may have in your garden or window box — they can be a beautiful and flavorful addition to a fresh salad. Lemon drop marigolds, which are a nice companion plant for tomatoes, are a very small variety with a fresh citrusy scent and they are completely edible!

#summer #cooking #recipes #vegetarian #CarlaHall #hearthealthy #sidedish #maindish