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Thursday, June 21, 2012

Home-grown courgette and mint salad for an insanely hot day

I harvested the first two courgettes from my secret garden yesterday morning.  They are quite fat, perhaps they are some kind of summer squash, not really courgettes at all?  They grew from seed I saved from a marrow we picked up from a free stuff stand outside Andy's neighbour's house in Boothbay Harbor, Maine.

Yesterday then proceeded to become insanely hot.  It got to 35C in the afternoon, and quite humid.  I don't know what to do with myself on those kind of days - I'm so British, I just wilt at hot temperatures.  Staying at work where the aircon is cool, eating cold food on the balcony, or lying down and reading are all I seem to be able to manage.

So I wanted to make something exciting and tasty with the courgettes without cooking them.  I also wanted to combine them with mint, because a) I think it should be a great, fresh/refreshing combination, and b) I found some mint growing in the courtyard outside our apartment.  This is the local-est food we have eaten in ages!

This salad was the culmination of  all the thoughts above.

1 medium courgette
1-2 tbsp fresh mint, finely shredded
1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes
zest and juice of 1/2 a lime
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
salt and pepper

Cut the courgette lengthwise into pieces comfortable to hold in your hand (about 2 in diameter) - mine went into quarters.  Then use a peeler to cut lengthwise into long, super thin slices (if I had a mandoline, I would have used that).  Put the courgette into a bowl with the rest of the ingredients, toss thoroughly, check for seasoning and eat.


I'd probably have used lemon if I'd had any, but the lime worked just as well - all the tastes were really in sync with each other and exactly right for the weather.
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