Summer Squash Ribbon Salad with Lemon Dressing

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Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs. summer squash (yellow squash and/or zucchini; a mixture of the two is prettiest)

  • salt

  • ½ tsp. finely grated lemon zest

  • 2 Tbs. freshly squeezed lemon juice

  • 1 garlic clove, minced

  • 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme (or ¼ tsp. dried thyme)

  • 1 tsp. chopped fresh mint or tarragon (or ¼ tsp. dried tarragon)

  • 1 tsp. chopped fresh parsley (or ½ tsp. dried parsley)

  • 3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

  • freshly ground pepper

  • ¼ c. pine nuts (or sunflower seeds or slivered almonds), lightly toasted

  • ½ c. crumbled feta cheese or goat cheese (optional)

Procedure:

Trim the squash and use a vegetable peeler to shred it lengthwise into wide ribbons.  Discard the inner seedy portion, or reserve for another use.  Spread out the squash ribbons on a clean surface and sprinkle generously with salt; this will draw out some of the excess water.  Allow to sit for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the dressing: in a small bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, minced garlic, chopped herbs, and olive oil.

Rinse the squash and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels.  Place squash in a large bowl and pour in the dressing, tossing to coat.  Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.  Sprinkle with toasted nuts and crumbled cheese.


Note: If you don’t have all the fresh herbs called for, you can substitute dried herbs as indicated, or you can substitute 1 Tbs. of any chopped fresh herb that you have on hand (instead of the three herbs called for).  Fresh basil would be a good option.