Let’s talk about zucchini, a food I could never get behind. For the most part, it’s an overcooked, mushy, flavourless excuse for a vegetable — except maybe when grilled properly, or used as a vehicle for fried breading, or used to add moisture to a completely unrelated thing, like in “zucchini” bread. And even in those examples, it’s only just kind of…there — hangin’ out, gazing at its shoes, in the far back corner in the flavour background of your zucchini muffins. Pfft.
(Side note: the day after I wrote this, Deb from smittenkitchen went ahead and published this recipe, which has now given me pause about all my bold statements above, based on the photo alone.)
Now, if we’re talkin’ about raw zucchini, that’s a whole other matter. Raw zucchini has a wonderful, firm texture and a sweetness that almost always gets lost in the cooking process. It’s fabulous in salads or slaws, and I’ve even seen recipes that use shaved ribbons of zucchini in place of pasta — a great option for those trying to avoid gluten or carbs (not me). The first time I tasted the zucchini “carpaccio” recipe below, made by my friend Liz’s dad, I was a convert (though I still obviously have a generalized hate-on for cooked zucchini). Its simple arrangement of thinly sliced zucchini, a lemon-olive oil dressing, toasted pine nuts and a smattering of fresh mint and basil and shavings of a hard, nutty Pecorino makes this salad worthy of serving to company, but simple enough to whip up for one.
This recipe is easiest to make with a mandoline, a kitchen tool that’s really worth picking up. The inexpensive but effective Benriner ones can be found in Chinatown. Alternately, you could try using a vegetable peeler or a sharp knife. You want your zucchini slices to be the thickness of sturdy paper, but not so thin that they become transparent and soggy. If using a mandoline, just be careful not to slice off parts of your fingers. Use the guard provided, or just be vigilant — the key is to be willing to waste a portion of the zucchini to avoid getting too close for comfort.
The presentation of this salad is the best part: using both green and yellow zucchini and making a pretty pattern on a nice platter makes for an impressive plate with little effort. Alternately you could plate servings of this salad individually. Make sure you lay the zucchini in a single layer (or overlapping minimally) so all of it gets enough coverage from the dressing.
Zucchini Carpaccio
Serves 4-6
4 small zucchinis
Large pinch coarse salt
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
3 tbsp olive oil
Small handful of fresh chopped basil and mint
1/2 cup pine nuts
Pecorino or Grana Padano cheese
1. To toast pine nuts, arrange in a single layer in a small pan over medium-low heat, flipping once to brown evenly. Keep an eye on them as they will burn quickly! Set aside to cool.
2. Shave zucchini into paper-thin slices lengthwise, then arrange in a single layer on a large platter or on individual serving plates (some overlapping is fine). Sprinkle with salt.
3. In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, olive oil. Drizzle evenly over zucchini, allow to sit for 10 minutes.
4. Before serving, sprinkle pine nuts and herbs over the zucchini, then shave a generous amount of cheese over top in wide ribbons, using a vegetable peeler.
Sara Chan is a Toronto-based entertainment lawyer, food enthusiast, unprofessional home chef and even less professional food photographer. Her favourite food group is pork. Sara’s column appears every other Tuesday here on lawandstyle.ca.