There’s something about the combination of raw and thinly shaved vegetables with Pecorino Romano cheese I find irresistible. Many vegetables can be given this treatment: asparagus, fennel, fava beans (briefly blanched), and summer squash, to name a few.
When fresh, these vegetables need little more than salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon juice — no cooking is necessary (with the exception, of course, of the fava beans).
Parmigiano Reggiano would be a fine substitute for the Pecorino, but there’s something about Pecorino — its saltiness — that works so well here. You can cut it the same way as in the fava bean and pecorino salad : Stick the tip of a big chef’s knife right into the block and twist until nice chards break from the block, or you can shave it with a peeler.
- 1.25 – 1.5 lbs. summer squash or zucchini
- kosher salt or Maldon Sea Salt
- freshly ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Regianno, to taste
- 1/2 cup herbs, such as basil, parsley, chives, or tarragon
- Shave the zucchini and summer squash on a mandoline into thin coins or spaghetti-like strips. Alternatively, slice thinly with a knife. Place in a bowl. Season with a few big pinches salt and toss to coat.
- Add a few cracks of pepper, the lemon juice, and olive oil, and toss again. Taste. Adjust with more salt and lemon to taste.
- Using a vegetable peeler, shave the Pecorino or Parmesan into the bowl. Add the herbs and toss gently to combine. Taste once more and adjust with more pepper or cheese and herbs to taste.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately or within an hour or so.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Category: Salad
Method: Toss
Cuisine: American, Italian
1.25 - 1.5 lbs. summer squash or zucchini
kosher salt or Maldon Sea Salt
freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Regianno, to taste
1/2 cup herbs, such as basil, parsley, chives, or tarragon
- Shave the zucchini and summer squash on a mandoline into thin coins or spaghetti-like strips. Alternatively, slice thinly with a knife. Place in a bowl. Season with a few big pinches salt and toss to coat.
- Add a few cracks of pepper, the lemon juice, and olive oil, and toss again. Taste. Adjust with more salt and lemon to taste.
- Using a vegetable peeler, shave the Pecorino or Parmesan into the bowl. Add the herbs and toss gently to combine. Taste once more and adjust with more pepper or cheese and herbs to taste.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately or within an hour or so.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Toss
- Cuisine: American, Italian
Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2008/06/15/favorite-summer-salad-shaved-zucchini-pecorino/
I know this isn’t the most summery of soups. Even us Southern Californians are experiencing a bit of a heat wave. So, why would anyone make lentil soup in the summer? It’s sort of a hard sell, I’ll admit, but I’m going to give it a go.
The 12oz. bag of lentils I purchased cost $3.23. I used about 9 oz. (1½ C.) or $2.42 worth of lentils in this recipe. (As far as lentils go, $3.23 for 12oz. is rather steep. You’ll likely pay much less.) Now, I don’t have all of my receipts to give an accurate estimate of what this soup costs to prepare, but the remaining ingredients, a mixture of pantry items (vinegar, bay leaf, olive oil, tomato sauce and salt) and vegetables (carrots, celery, onions and garlic) cost next to nothing, even given the crazy-high food prices we are currently facing at the market.
This soup is one of the most economical dishes you could ever prepare. It yields three quarts or eight generous servings. Even if the cost of ingredients totaled $10, which is very unlikely, the cost per serving is only $1.25. Serve it with a loaf of bread and you have a complete meal. Lentil soup and bread for dinner might seem a little Spartan, but the addition of a salad with this meal in a way would be superfluous — this soup is filled with vegetables for one, and lentils themselves are nutritional powerhouses: These little legumes are high in fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals and are an excellent source of complex carbohydrates. Also, according to the Web site, The World’s Healthiest Foods, one cup of cooked lentils contains just 230 calories.
Have I sold anyone?
I should note that this soup takes little time to prepare — you basically throw all of the ingredients in a pot and let it simmer for an hour — and that it is delicious. This is one of my mother’s favorite recipes, passed down, I believe, from her mother, and maybe even from her mother’s mother. Am I making this up, mom?
A bowl of French green lentils. I have yet to find a source of local lentils, but I can’t say I have looked terribly hard. In Philadelphia, one of the vendors at the Sunday Headhouse market sold lentils and they were delicious. I purchased these at a shop in Philadelphia nearly a year ago and they traveled with me across country. Unless you have a local source for lentils, I highly recommend the D’Allasandro French Green Lentils.
- 1½ C. French green lentils
- 1 8oz. can + 1/2 can of tomato sauce, such as Pomi brand
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ C. red wine vinegar
- ½ C. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp . kosher salt
- ½ tsp . fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 celery stalks, peeled and diced
- crushed red pepper flakes to taste
- Throw all ingredients together in a pot. Add 1½ qts. plus one cup of water (seven cups total). Simmer for one hour uncovered. Stir and serve with crusty bread. Tastes even better on day two. Keeps for over a week in the refrigerator. Freezes well, too.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hours
