Vegan light recipe with ordinary ingredients
This dish is the ultimate in simple, elegant summer fare. Make this only when you can get fresh-from-the-field local zucchini to appreciate the delicate flavour of this vegetable fully. Match with a glass of chilled rosé for a delicious and light warm-weather appetizer.
Amandoline or Japanese Benrinner helps enormously when trying to achieve paper-thin slices, but if you don’t have one, use your sharpest knife and take your time to get the slices as thin as you can.
Serves 4.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 lb fresh zucchini (can be baby, regular, or an assortment), washed and dried
- 1/4 cup best quality extra-virgin olive oil + a bit more for garnish
- Flaky sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 2 lemons, juice only
- 1 small hunk parmesan or pecorino cheese (can also use chevre or feta)
- 1/2 cup whole natural almonds, lightly crushed
- 2 handfuls of either lemon balm, mint, mache, purple basil or baby arugula- or an assortment
- Edible flowers, optional
Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, slice the zucchini lengthwise into slices about 1/8-inch thick. Arrange zucchini slices on 4 plates. Brush zucchini with olive oil and season well with sea salt and pepper. Drizzle with some lemon juice to taste.
Shave parmesan over each serving and sprinkle with almonds. Strew the fresh herbs over each serving. Garnish with edible flowers if desired.