Zucchini Carpaccio

Zucchini carpaccio, “better than sex,” is a recipe I received from an old friend, Gary Hochberg, who responded to a call I posted for zucchini recipes on Late Bloomer Show Facebook page. Gary got the recipe from his friend, Kris Russo, at whose home he has eaten it many times. She had copied it from a Spirit Southwest Airlines Magazine on a flight in 2011. When Gary submitted it, he said Kris claimed it was “better than sex.”

Zucchini Carpaccio with Homegrown Zucchini, Toasted Pine Nuts and Shaved Parmesan

I am not a great cook, and much more enjoy growing food than food preparation and cooking (I’ll leave that my friend Valentina at Cooking on the Weekends), so a recipe for raw zucchini that tastes great and easy to prepare is my kind of dish! I had to give it a try since my yellow and green zucchini plants are producing plenty of zucchini. I will let you be the judge of Kris’ claim, but I will say my husband and I polished off this whole plate in about ten minutes!

Zucchini Carpaccio Detail

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Zucchini Carpaccio*

1 pound zucchini (usually 2)
4 tbsp. pine nuts
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 pinch freshly ground pepper
1 pinch fleur de sel
6 tbsp. shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano

1. Slice the zucchini penny-thin using a mandoline, then
arrange the slices slightly overlapping on a large platter.

2.  Toast the pine nuts over medium heat in a dry sauté pan until slightly
brown and set aside. In a small bowl whisk the olive oil and lemon
juice.

3. Drizzle the dressing over the zucchini. Season with
pepper and fleur de sel, then sprinkle with cheese and pine
nuts.

4. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

*With credit to Spirit Southwest Airlines Magazine, July 2011.

I used yellow and green zucchini growing in my front yard, and cold-pressed unheated olive oil. Getting the hang of the mandolin slicer (that 2″ single blade on your hand grater) took a half a zucchini, but don’t even think of attempting to slice with a knife. The slices need to be thin for them to absorb the oil and lemon. I used Meyer lemon and regular sea salt. All together this took about ten minutes. Do you have a quick and easy summer squash recipe you love? Please share! Thanks for stopping by. – Kaye

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