Every Spring I forget about zucchini-I look at the tiny innocent looking plants that my Mum gives me or that I plant in a peat pot or that I purchase at the nursery and I think- I’ll plant two -they’re small- what if one dies? But I forget that they are hardy to the point of madness and that once producing they never relent. I think we could solve world hunger at least in the Summer with just a few plants 😉 Zucchini are the stuff of urban gardening legend in my town. A few weeks into the season neighbors start looking like deer caught in the headlights if they see you headed towards them with yet more zucchini. There are doorbell ditches and boxes of marrows left on break-room tables at work with signs saying “free- PLEASE take me home!”
Please don’t misunderstand- I love zucchini- it’s just that after a while I feel like I’m stuck in that Monty Python sketch- Lupine stew, just insert zucchini for the “bloody lupines”. So right now I have a Chocolate Zucchini Cake in the oven- hopefully I’ll share that tomorrow- and we’ve had zucchini 89,000,000 ways and there are still four zucchini waiting on my counter to be dealt with enjoyed.
So for tonight, it’s a grated fresh zucchini salad:
Zucchini Salad
- 2 cups of coarsely grated fresh zucchini skin on but washed well before grating
- 3 Tablespoons Port Balsamic vinegar
- 4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 clove minced garlic
- salt
- freshly ground pepper
- chopped fresh tomato
- one purple shallot, slivered
- 1 cup cubed Feta cheese
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
Just mix it all together and let it sit for the flavors to mingle and develop.
Hope you enjoy!
xo
Thanks Sally! Yes you are absolutley right- never moan about abundance! 🙂
xo
Gabi
Good, thanks – needed a quick fix to empty the fridge and this salad was just the trick.
Don’t moan too much about vegetable over-production – I live in the centre of Paris and garden fresh veg are impossible to find and it all costs an arm and a leg. So enjoy. Xs
Thanks Marie I am So glad you liked it 🙂 xox
Everyone that reads this post should try this salad! I made it last night with dinner and Hubby and I attacked the whole bowl! One bite of these flavors and you’ll be smitten! Thanks Gabi, I’m making it again! And you were right, no need to squeeze the zucchini out, the juices were the best part!
Sally- Thanks – Some customs translate easily eh 😉
Maryann- Ha!I bet you felt like a vegetable Robin Hood! Ya make me laugh!
Sue- I’m so sorry- I know the only tragedy worse than too much is not any at all! xo better luck next year.
Courtney- Thanks- I know sometimes I just look at them and my mind goes kinda blank.
Marie- Oh I know- you open your door and you’re grateful and then looking supiciously at your neighbors the rest of the day 🙂
Oh make it and let me know- no -I didn’t squeeze it dry – I thought the juice just added to the dressing.
Kalyn- Thanks! It’s funny how one plant tends to go crazy and the others are just normal.
Love the sound of this! For some reason I have tons of yellow squash this year, but the zucchini are manageable.
Many times I would wake up and when I opened my front door, guess what? A bag of zucchini’s! Yes I’ve had doorbell ditches here! I am loving this grated zucchini salad, I think I’ll make it tomarrow. I have all the ingredients! I’ll let you know how it turns out. Do you squeeze the water out of the zucchini after you grate it?
I cant even handle the 2 or 3 I get bi weekly. But good creative use.
Don’t knock it! The red spider mite and white fly polished my zucchini off this year before a single one had formed. Much better to have too many than none at all 🙁
Yup! The zucchini flood! Please, please, take my zucchinis! Did I ever tell you about the time I snuck out at night and left zucchinis on my neighbors doorsteps? haha
What a lovely mix of ingredients. It looks so tasty.
You made me laugh with the carrier bag thing. It happens here too.