For a limited time only: A Spectacular Summer Salad of Shaved Vegetables. This dazzler is less about a recipe than having the best ingredients and some easy techniques. Isn’t it the Italians who say you first taste with your eyes? Armed with a few key kitchen tools and an abbodanza di verdure (heaps o’ fresh vegetables) straight from the hand of God you can’t go wrong.
Next up is the carrot curler, a most-favored gadget in the SpecD kitchens. Its ridged blade scores long grooves down the length of carrots and cucumbers and then the pencil sharpener action peels off feathery curls.
Zucchini flower halves are delightful with a squiggle of soft cheese piped in. A showering of fresh herbs and edible blossoms delicious and delightful.
Recipe: Spectacular Summer Salad of Shaved Vegetables
Ingredients are totally variable depending on the colorful vegetables you can get your hands on. Shown here is booty from the East Hampton farmer’s market.
Two-toned summer squash
Rainbow carrots
Lemon cucumber
Heirloom cherry tomatoes
French radishes
Zucchini flowers
Blue cheese
Mascarpone cheese
Chives
Nasturtium flowers and leaves
Fresh thyme
oil and vinegar
s&p
Slice the squash, cucumber and radishes as thin as possible on a mandoline. The slices should be pliant for optimum delectability.
Slice the zucchini flowers in half long ways. Use scissors to cut out the pistol and stamen. Zucchini flowers are havens for bugs so make sure to remove any critters.
Peel the carrots. Use a carrot curler to score ridges down the shaft of the carrots and the pencil sharpener-like blade inside the cone to shave them into feathery spirals. Break the spirals into 2″ lengths so that they form individual blossoms.
Slice the cherry tomatoes in halves.
Allow the blue cheese and mascarpone to come to room temperature. Mash together with a fork, they with the fork or a small whisk blend until smooth. Use a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip to pipe out a squiggle in each half.
In a large bowl toss the prepared squash, cucumber, radish, carrots and tomatoes with oil and vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Pile onto a serving platter or shallow bowl.
Strip the thyme leaves off the stems directly onto the salad. Cut the chives into 1″ lengths and let drop over the salad. Tuck the nasturtium leaves and flowers around the top. Garnish with the cheese-filled flowers.
