Two Quick and Cool Summer Salads

by | Mar 3, 2015 | Food

Two Quick and Cool Summer Salads

  1. Cucumber Dill Salad
  2. Zucchini Carpaccio with Lemon, Olive Oil and Chives

Summer has been gloriously hot this year. We are loving it and taking the opportunity to eat lots of cool and refreshing food that needs no stove, no oven, and very little time to prepare…so we can spend more time in the shade.

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The garden is booming and all the things we need for Cucumber Dill Salad, and Zucchini Carpaccio are just a few steps away.  If you grow your own, it’s best to pick everything in the coolness of the morning.  In the grocery store look for the freshest ingredients you can find.  And when possible support your local farmer’s market.

Cucumber Dill Salad

Ingredients:

2-3 small to medium size crisp cucumbers. We are using all kinds of cukes from our garden: pickling, regular, and odd-shaped… they are all great!
-Fresh dill, chopped; or dried dill
-1-1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
-2 tablespoons white wine vinegar such as pinot grigio, or substitute your favorite, preferably light in color. Dark vinegar, such as balsamic, will darken the salad but it’s your salad so use what YOU like!
-pinch of sugar
-salt to taste

Instructions:

Cucumbers:

  1. Wash and peel the cucumbers. If they are organic you can leave the peel on.
  2. Slice thinly into rounds and set aside in a bowl
  3.  To the cucumbers add the olive oil, vinegar, sugar, and salt to taste
  4. Chop enough fresh dill to make a tablespoon or to taste. If using dried dill start with ½ teaspoon and add more as you like. Add the dill to the cucumbers and toss gently.
  5. Keep cool in the fridge until ready to eat, or serve right away.

You can prepare ahead of time. The cucumbers will continue to marinate and will be good the next day, too.

Zucchini Carpaccio

My first delicious taste of Zucchini Carpaccio was years ago. Even with the yearly glut of zucchini from our garden I never tried making it before this summer. In zucchini month we are always looking for new and interesting ways to use zucchini…. we have so many and we can’t even give them away since everyone we know also has too many (gardeners: you know what I mean).

Ingredients:
2 medium size firm zucchini, smooth skin type
1-2 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
Juice of 1-1/2 lemons
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive
salt and pepper taste

Instructions:

  1. Wash zucchini and cut off the ends
  2. Slice the zucchini the long way using a vegetable peeler to make thin strips. Put put into a bowl
  3. Add lemon juice, olive oil, chopped chives, and salt and pepper to taste
  4. Let it sit for 15-20 minutes before serving, so the zucchini marinate in the dressing

If you have any left over they will be even more marinated the next day.