Raw zucchini salad with tomato vinaigrette
Instructions:
- Salad:
- 4 small zucchini (about 1 pound total), ends trimmed;
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt;
- 1⁄4 cup high-quality ripe olives (such as Kalamata or Manzanilla), pitted and coarsely chopped;
- 1⁄4 cup coarsely chopped Marcona almonds or whole pine nuts, lightly toasted;
- 10 small basil leaves.
- Tomato vinaigrette:
- 11⁄2 cups peeled,seeded, and chopped fresh tomato;
- 1 garlic clove;
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice or lemon juice;
- 1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil;
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste.
- For the salad:
- Use a vegetable slicer or vegetable peeler to shave the zucchini into long, paper-thin ribbons or rounds. Transfer into a colander, toss with the salt, and let drain while you make the vinaigrette.
- For the vinaigrette: Puree the tomato, garlic, and orange juice in a blender. With the blender running, slowly add the oil in a thin stream. Season with salt and pepper.
- To assemble the salad, pat the zucchini dry with paper towels and arrange on a serving platter. Drizzle with just enough tomato vinaigrette to moisten. (You might not need all of it.) Scatter the olives, almonds, and basil over the top and serve immediately.
- What else works? You can replace some or all of the zucchini with summer squash.