The mint vinaigrette was made with summer squash in mind. This recipe is for a casual throw together salad, but with a little work this could be an elegant opener to a summer soiree meal. See the Chef’s Tips for more on this.
INGREDIENTS:
4 cups Lolla Rossa and Red Oak leaf lettuces, combined, cleaned and dried, torn into bite sized bits 2 cups various summer squash, cut into 3/8 inch cubes ¼ cup shallots prepared as for Purplette Onion “Quickles” ¼ cup shelled pistachio nuts Salt (large grain is best such as Maldon or Murray River) and pepper to taste 2-3 ounces of ricotta salata or romano cheese – Optional Mint Vinaigrette as needed
METHOD:
Put the summer squash cubes into a non-reactive bowl and drizzle a small amount of mint vinaigrette on them. Toss them to coat lightly and season with salt and pepper.
In another bowl, toss the lettuces with just enough vinaigrette to moisten the lettuce, and toss to coat.
Place the lettuces on plates or a platter. Next, center the dressed squash in the lettuces. Sprinkle with shallots and the pistachio nuts. Season with a little salt and a couple twists of pepper. If using it, finish with the cheese by using a peeler to pull very thin strips of cheese and lay over the salad. Serve right away.
Chef’s Notes:
To make this salad more elegant, use a mandolin to cut the squash into thin ribbons about the width of linguine, and lightly salt it. After 15-20 minutes it should become a little flexible. Rinse it well and then dress it with the mint dressing. Using a two tined meat fork, twirl a quarter of the squash into a ball and place it into a nest of lettuces and form the ball into a tallish cylinder. Pile some quickled shallots on top, the pile minced shallots atop this. Run the cheese around the base of the cylinder and serve.
Serves: 4
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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