Foodstuff: Garden party

I was recently invited to a homegrown “Dinner in the Field” — a group of friends with community garden plots and CSA shares came together, made a meal of ingredients from local fruits and vegetables, and dined al fresco adjacent to the Marolt Open Space.

As you may have read, I am in a season-long battle with my CSA box, trying desperately to use all the vegetables during this last blast of summer, so I jumped at the chance to force my uneaten produce onto innocent partygoers. Our spread was incredible: a specialty cocktail, featuring homemade black raspberry jam; a zoodle dish of basil, cherry tomatoes, and snap peas; a kale salad with a homemade honey vinaigrette, lentils, pesto, and cucumbers; and a blueberry pie (oh, my!).

I contributed the pesto pasta, tossed with grilled zucchini and baby eggplants. But since you’ve likely already read my odes to pesto in this very column, I’m sharing a recipe that I made up last summer, based on a menu item at local Mediterranean joint, Duemani, which would have been perfect for this event.

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RAW ZUCCHINI SALAD WITH FETA

Serves 2*

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1 medium zucchini

2t kosher salt

1T extra virgin olive oil

2T red wine vinegar

1/4c feta cheese**

1-2T*** freshly chopped dill

Salt and pepper to taste

Slice the zucchini lengthwise as thinly as possible.****

Place the zucchini slices in a colander over a small bowl, and toss thoroughly with the two teaspoons of kosher salt. Let sit for at least one hour in the refrigerator, tossing periodically.*****

Arrange the salted zucchini on a platter, and drizzle with the olive oil and vinegar.

Crumble the feta cheese over the top, and garnish with dill, salt (if needed)****** and freshly cracked black pepper.

COOK’S NOTES

*This recipe is extremely easy to double or triple if you’re taking it to a gathering.

**I’ve been using the goat feta cheese from Laz Ewe 2 Bar Goat Dairy, which I get at (where else?) the farmers market on Saturdays. Some of the flavored feta cheeses, like the dill and garlic, work very well with this recipe.

***I put a boatload of dill on this because I love it, but garnish to your tastes.

****Use a mandoline slicer if you have it, set on the second-thinnest setting. Take it from me, and watch your fingers!

*****This step is critical as it leeches out the unnecessary moisture in the vegetable and breaks it down, so it is pliable and palatable. I actually let mine drain overnight — you’ll be amazed at how much water ends up in the bowl.

******After pre-salting the zucchini and adding cheese, you may not need more salt. Taste and season accordingly.

This vegetable salad is delicious and looks so pretty on a plate — it also tastes great cold or at room temperature, so it’s excellent for a party or a picnic. And you can finally have a fighting chance to get out ahead of your zucchini (Godspeed).

Katherine Roberts is a mid-Valley based writer and marketing professional who is currently prepping her eleventy billionth salad for lunch. She can be reached via her marketing and communications firm, Carington Creative, at katherine@caringtoncreative.com.