Raw zucchini salad recipe

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I'm not growing zucchini this year, but I do love it and it's cheap at the farmers' market - so I've been living on this simple raw zucchini salad. It may look fancy, but the only tool you need is a simple vegetable peeler. My favorite is the Oxo Good Grips Swivel Peeler, a bargain at $7.99, in my opinion. I use it daily. We do own another one, but when Emery and I are cooking together, he grabs the Oxo and leaves me with the wannabe. Good taste, that one.

This zucchini salad is just as good the next day - different, because it's wilted a bit, but not mushy at all. I've been making it for dinner and then taking it to work in my lunchbox the next day.

Raw zucchini salad

• 2 large or 4 small zucchini
• 1 large hunk of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (you won't need the whole thing)
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• juice of 1 small Meyer lemon (or 1/2 small regular lemon)
• salt to taste

Wash the zucchini well. Using a vegetable peeler, peel off strips of the zucchini into a large bowl. If your zucchini has a seedy core, stop when you get to the middle and discard the core. Repeat with the rest of the zucchini.

Now take the hunk of cheese and peel strips of that off into the bowl. Be generous; you'll want the contrast of the salty cheese with the mild zucchini. Add the torn basil leaves.

Drizzle the olive oil and lemon juice over the zucchini salad, and add a pinch of salt. Toss and taste. You may need a little more salt than you expect. Adjust until it's perfect, then serve.