Recipe ReDux: Summer Ribbon Salad

This month’s Recipe ReDux is all about jars.  My first thought on seeing this was something along the lines of “now I really need to learn how to can things…”  But then I realized that jars are so much more than just canning.  Don’t get me wrong, preserving ripe foods in jars is awesome, and I want so badly to learn how to do it safely, but it’s just not in my repertoire right now.

I'm also a big fan of labels - can you tell?

I do, however, use jars.  I use them all the time.  My pantry is full of jars.  I use jars to store my grains and legumes.  I use jars as Tupperware.  I take snacks and lunch to work in jars.  In fact, jars have taken over my cupboard because I just have so many of them.  This is one of the many recipes you can make in a jar.  You can also make it not in a jar, but I like it in a jar just because it means I can easily give it a shake every once in a while and not really have to think about it.

Every summer my family goes to the beach (or, as we say in Philly, we go “down the shore”) for a few weeks at the end of the summer.  About this time last year, my mom discovered Pinterest, and immediately began pinning recipes to make at the beach.  This salad was one of them, and I think we made it at least three times in two weeks.  It’s easy, it’s fresh, and it’s all about seasonal summer vegetables.  What I love about it is how the zucchini seems to soak in the vinaigrette, making this dish incredibly flavorful.

It's super important to use fresh, young zucchinis for this.  If you use the kind that's spongy in the middle, it will just get mushy as it soaks in the dressing.  If that's the only kind of zucchini you've got, scoop out the spongy part (throw it into a soup or something) and make the ribbons out of the rest of the zucchini.  

If I were you, I would grab some zucchini, a vegetable peeler, and your storage container of choice and get to work on this delicious summer salad right now!

Sumer Ribbon Salad

Adapted from Dlynz, serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 medium garlic clove, minced
¼ cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup olive oil
1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon honey or agave

5-6 small scallions, sliced thinly

10 basil leaves, chiffonaded, plus more for garnish

Salt and pepper to taste

4 zucchini or yellow squash, the younger and fresher the better

2 carrots

Directions:

1.  Add the garlic, vinegar, oil, mustard, sweetener, scallions, and basil in the bottom of a jar or other container.  Mix well, then add salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.

2.  Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zucchini and/or squash into thin ribbons, then repeat the same process with the carrot.  If you have an adjustable mandolin, set it on a very thin slice.  You want the ribbons to be thin enough to easily fold without breaking.

3.  Add the vegetable ribbons to the jar or container with the vinaigrette in it and toss to coat everything.  Set aside for at least an hour, but preferably overnight, giving the container a good shake every once in a while to evenly distribute the vinaigrette.

4.  When you’re ready to serve, pour out the vegetables and vinaigrette into a serving dish, give it a quick toss, and feel free to top the salad with additional basil.  Serve cold or room temperature.

Enjoy!