Author Notes: Like pasta, zucchini is a great carrier of other flavors and sauces. I recently got a julienne gizmo that is like a peeler but makes tiny little threads of zucchini, carrots, cukes or wherever you apply it. A mandoline or benringer with a julienne blade also works(but not as safe for fingers or as much fun to use). I make this recipe all summer long with a variety of dressings, but this is one of my favorites. It is healthy and light; a great side dish or a light lunch. – dymnyno —dymnyno
Food52 Review: Zucchini and summer squash, if sliced thinly enough, resemble spaghetti — or, zuccaghetti! — and make for a tender, refreshing salad. The notion of zucchini spaghetti has popped up here and there over the past couple of years. Sometimes the strands are dressed with oil and chilies, sometimes with a vinaigrette and herbs. Here dymnyno enrobes the thin, dewy zucchini in a tarragon vinaigrette rounded out with cream (add it to taste). This is a salad that gets even better with a little sitting. Dymnyno has you rinse the zucchini after salting — we found that you can skip the rinsing. But don’t skip the eating! – A&M
—The Editors
Serves: 6
Ingredients
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8 small zucchini (about 2 lbs)
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1 tsp salt
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3 tbs tarragon leaves
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2 tbs fresh lemon juice
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3 tbs olive oil
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1 cup cream(1/2 &1/2)
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3 tbs chives, minced
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fresh ground black pepper
Directions
- Julienne the zucchini, place in a colander, sprinkle with the salt and drain for 1/2 hour. Then, rinse , and squeeze and towel out the excess moisture. A salad spinner can work.
- In a blender, put the olive oil, lemon juice, tarragon leaves and cream.
- Blend until creamy and all the ingredients are fully incorporated into a creamy dressing.
- Toss the zucchini with the sauce (amount determined by taste).
- Sprinkle with the chopped chives. Grind pepper over mixture to taste.
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Lemon, zucchini (we used babies but you can also use larger ones), cream, chives, olive oil and tarragon.
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To slice the zucchini, we used a mandoline fitted with a julienne blade. Watch your fingers!
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That's Lily, our marvelous summer intern, on the right! Note that we require all our interns to dress exactly like Merrill.
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Chives are a cooperative herb to chop. Unlike tarragon, which bruises and goes its own way.
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The julienned zucchini — now can you see why a mandoline helps? They are some thin slices!
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Merrill salting the zucchini, which then sat for 30 minutes. This softens the zucchini, draws out excess moisture, and conveniently seasons the strands.
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See how the slices are glistening? That's all the moisture that's been drawn out by the salt.
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Merrill mops off the moisture by blotting the zucchini with a dish towel.
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Looking down the barrel of a …. blender. Cream, olive oil, tarragon and lemon juice are about to get to know each other.
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Fused forever, the dressing now awaits the zucchini.
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Add the dressing to taste.
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And then taste!
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