Raw Zucchini Salad with Green Olives, Mint and Pecorino

September 22, 2008 Barb Wong

Summer is a fleeting phenomenon in Vancouver. To embrace the taste of summer, I made a refreshing zucchini salad from newly released A16: Food and Wine by Nate Appleman. Based on the popular San Francisco restaurant, A16 features recipes that burst with flavour with little fuss. Besides the recipes, A16 features valuable information about wine and food pairings and each recipe gives a suggestion for an Italian wine to accompany each dish.

Raw Zucchini Salad with Green Olives, Mint and Pecorino from A16: Food and Wine by Nate Appleman

1 1/2 pounds zucchini (3 large or 6 medium)

Kosher salt

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup green olives, pitted and sliced [I left them whole]

2/3 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves, chopped

Block of aged pecorino for shaving [I used a honey and hay aged pecorino affienato from Les Amis du Fromage]

Freshly ground black pepper

Trim the ends of the zucchini. Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, slice the zucchini lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick ribbons. Toss the ribbons with about 1 teaspoon salt, place in a colander set over a bowl, and set aside for 10 minutes. The zucchini will wilt and soften as the salt leaches out moisture.

Rinse the zucchini under cold running water, pat dry, and place in a large bowl. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, olives, parsley, and mint and toss to coat the zucchini evenly. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed. Be careful not to overseason, as the olives are salty.

Arrange the salad on a platter, distributing the olives evenly. Using a vegetable peeler, shave curls of pecorino over the salad. Finish with a grind of pepper and serve immediately-this salad becomes soggy if it sits too long.

Pair with Verdeca (Puglia)

Serves 6