Zucchini and tomato salad

(from culinarysarah’s recipe box)

For this recipe, I salt long, think strops of zucchini and serve them raw. The salt flavors the zucchini and draws out its moisture, giving it a deliciously crunchy texture. Sometimes I serve the zucchini on its own with just a dash of olive oil, but it’s also wonderful with this tomato, mozzarella, and cilantro salad, which can be served on its own. Both the zucchini and the tomato salad can be prepared up to 2 hours ahead of serving; if done any further ahead, they both tend to get mushy.

Source: Jacques Pepin, Fast Food My Way

Serves 4 people

Categories: salad, small plates

Ingredients

  • 2 small firm zucchini, each about 5 ounces
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups tomatoes, diced (3/4 inch)
  • 2/3 cup mozzarella cheese, diced (1/2 inch), preferably buffalo mozzarella
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Using a vegetable peeler, cut down the length of each zucchini to remove long, thin strips. Stop when you reach the seeds in the center, pivot the zucchini, and repeat on the other three sides. Discard the seedy centers and put the zucchini strips in a non-reactive bowl. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, mix well, and set aside until serving time.

  2. In another bowl, mix together the tomatoes, mozzarella, cilantro, lemon juice, oil, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the pepper.

  3. At serving time, arrange the zucchini strips on four plates to create a border around the edge. Spoon some of the tomato salad into the center of each plate and serve immediately.

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