FIRST COURSE
Alison Heeres - Coriander Kitchen & Farm
Traditionally referring to raw thin-shaved beef or fish, carpaccio here describes the texture of the raw squash. This quick salad is versatile, with ingredients listed more as suggestions, allowing for whatever’s available in your own garden or farmers market.
Ingredients
- 2 tender small to medium-sized summer squash in yellow or green (no zucchini-bread-sized courgettes!)
- Kosher salt
- 1 plump shallot or ⅛ cup red onion, thinly sliced
- Red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 organic lemon, zested and juiced
- Large handful of mixed local herbs. Try parsley + dill + chive, or thyme + basil + mint … or oregano + tarragon + parsley
- ¼ cup crumbled salty cheese, such as feta, parmesan, pecorino or ricotta salata
- 3 tablespoons of something pickled, such as capers, olives, roasted-pickled peppers or giardiniera
- Heavy splash good extra-virgin olive oil
- Cracked black pepper or red pepper flakes
Preparation
Using a mandoline or very sharp knife, thinly slice the squash into coins that are about the width of 2 stacked quarters. Place them in an even layer in a colander with a plate or tray underneath and sprinkle liberally with kosher salt. Toss gently and leave to drain for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Put them in the fridge until you are ready to proceed, as they are best with a bit of chill on them. The squash will release water and become more malleable, like al-dente pasta in texture. Try them to see if they are too salty. If so, just rinse lightly and allow to drain an additional 10 minutes.
Mince or thinly slice the shallot and soak in a couple tablespoons of red wine vinegar with a teaspoon of sugar and a pinch of salt while you prepare the other ingredients. If you already have pickled red onions on hand (a move I highly recommend in general), just use those!
Smash and mince the garlic cloves and combine with lemon zest and lemon juice.
Rough-chop delicate herbs and shave or crumble your salty cheese.
Toss everything together and swirl in some good olive oil. Season with kosher or flake salt, cracked black pepper or even red pepper flakes if you’re feeling spicy. Adjust acid to your preference with additional vinegar or lemon. Serve immediately as a salad or side dish to grilled meats, fish or seafood.
