Amanda had this gorgeous couscous hiding in her pantry; each grain looks like a tiny little teardrop.

Pistachios and garlic: not as visually divergent as you might think!

This is a great trick for making citrus easier to juice. It loosens the membranes.

We diced both zucchini and yellow squash into very small cubes -- but anywhere from 1/4 to 1/3 of an inch would work well.

Lemon zest makes the dressing sing.

Diligently prepping away. At least that's what we want you to think...

A touch of honey "kisses" the dressing with sweetness, as Amanda would say.

The honey and garlic help to emulsify the dressing, but a slow drizzle of oil is always a good idea.

The couscous is done!

Squash, sultanas and pistachios await their fate: a sizzling, oil-slicked pan.

Shallot and squash co-mingling happily.

A brief sauté is all you're going for here -- you don't want mushy veg!

This couscous is a little stickier than most, but we managed to fluff it nicely.

Be judicious when adding the dressing to the couscous and veggies -- we didn't use all of it.

Last but not least: fresh mint, for color and perfume.

Lemon, zucchini (we used babies but you can also use larger ones), cream, chives, olive oil and tarragon.

To slice the zucchini, we used a mandoline fitted with a julienne blade. Watch your fingers!

That's Lily, our marvelous summer intern, on the right! Note that we require all our interns to dress exactly like Merrill.

Chives are a cooperative herb to chop. Unlike tarragon, which bruises and goes its own way.

The julienned zucchini -- now can you see why a mandoline helps? They are some thin slices!

Merrill salting the zucchini, which then sat for 30 minutes. This softens the zucchini, draws out excess moisture, and conveniently seasons the strands.

See how the slices are glistening? That's all the moisture that's been drawn out by the salt.

Merrill mops off the moisture by blotting the zucchini with a dish towel.

Looking down the barrel of a .... blender. Cream, olive oil, tarragon and lemon juice are about to get to know each other.

Fused forever, the dressing now awaits the zucchini.

Add the dressing to taste.

And then taste!