This salad uses two in-season, hot-summer, garden staples: zucchini and basil. It’s a recipe for when you’re tired of the basic dinner salad. All of the ingredients can be prepared ahead of time and tossed at the last minute before serving.
Chop the white part of the green onions. Roughly chop the fresh basil. Thinly slice the mushrooms. Slice the squash very thinly lengthwise, then into ribbons. This resembles spaghetti noodles. Make your basic salad dressing. Roast the Pistachios. Toss the salad with the dressing adding nuts and cheese right at the last minute.
For the basic salad dressing, mash 2 cloves of garlic with 2 tsp of salt in a mortar and pestle. The salt will absorb the garlic juice and the mixture will resemble a paste. Stir in 1/2 cup olive oil and 1/2 cup lemon juice. Add fresh ground pepper to taste.
Have you been to your local Farmer’s Market recently?
1/2 bunch green onions
3 T fresh chopped basil
1 small pkg fresh mushrooms thinly sliced
2 medium zucchini sliced into ribbons
1/2 cup roasted pistachios
1/2 cup fresh pecorino cheese, more if desired
fresh ground black pepper