Zucchini Carpaccio

In addition to the ridiculous number of food blogs I read, I also subscribe to entirely too many food magazines.  But every once in a while, I get an idea from one of them that makes the price of the subscription worth while.   This isn't really one of them, but it comes close.  :)

Carpaccio is usually an appetizer involving raw meat (usually beef, I think), sliced thinly and served with lemon juice and olive oil.  This is a play on that idea.

I liked this recipe because it meant zero heating up of the kitchen.  I LOVE that.  Well, actually, I did have to toast some pine nuts, but that didn't take very long.

I got the idea for this from the newest issue of Food Network Magazine.  Theirs was a bit more involved, but the main ingredients are about the same.

Here's what I did......

I took 2 small zucchini and sliced them into rounds.  Very thin rounds.  Make-you-go-crazy-and-wish-you-had-a-mandoline rounds.  I spread the rounds on a plate in a very pretty pattern (until I lost patience right there at the end and kind of dumped the last of them on top of the pretty design).  Then I drizzled them with some meyer lemon olive oil I bought while I was in Vail this summer, but you could use extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice, too.  I added a little fresh lemon juice, as well.  Then I salted and peppered them, sprinkled them with freshly grated parmesan cheese (NOT the stuff in the green tube.  Please.  That stuff smells like feet), and sprinkled some toasted pine nuts on the top.  You don't see it in the picture (because I remembered to do this after I took it), but I also chopped some fresh basil and sprinkled it on, for good measure.

This was really delicious.  I can't wait to try it with a combination of yellow squash and zucchini, or even with sliced tomato thrown in.  You can not go wrong with this salad.  If you take it to a summer potluck, people will think you're brilliant.  And you are!