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!
Author Notes: Like pasta, zucchini is a great carrier of other flavors and sauces. I recently got a julienne gizmo that is like a peeler but makes tiny little threads of zucchini, carrots, cukes or wherever you apply it. A mandoline or benringer with a julienne blade also works(but not as safe for fingers or as much fun to use). I make this recipe all summer long with a variety of dressings, but this is one of my favorites. It is healthy and light; a great side dish or a light lunch. - dymnyno —dymnyno
Food52 Review: Zucchini and summer squash, if sliced thinly enough, resemble spaghetti -- or, zuccaghetti! -- and make for a tender, refreshing salad. The notion of zucchini spaghetti has popped up here and there over the past couple of years. Sometimes the strands are dressed with oil and chilies, sometimes with a vinaigrette and herbs. Here dymnyno enrobes the thin, dewy zucchini in a tarragon vinaigrette rounded out with cream (add it to taste). This is a salad that gets even better with a little sitting. Dymnyno has you rinse the zucchini after salting -- we found that you can skip the rinsing. But don't skip the eating! - A&M
—The Editors
Serves: 6
Ingredients
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8 small zucchini (about 2 lbs)
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1 tsp salt
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3 tbs tarragon leaves
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2 tbs fresh lemon juice
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3 tbs olive oil
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1 cup cream(1/2 &1/2)
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3 tbs chives, minced
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fresh ground black pepper
Directions
- Julienne the zucchini, place in a colander, sprinkle with the salt and drain for 1/2 hour. Then, rinse , and squeeze and towel out the excess moisture. A salad spinner can work.
- In a blender, put the olive oil, lemon juice, tarragon leaves and cream.
- Blend until creamy and all the ingredients are fully incorporated into a creamy dressing.
- Toss the zucchini with the sauce (amount determined by taste).
- Sprinkle with the chopped chives. Grind pepper over mixture to taste.
- Your Best Summer Squash Recipe Contest Finalist!
- This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Dish in the Raw
- This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Vegetarian Holiday Side
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