LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Thoughtful Food


Zucchini Ribbon Salad Photo Susie Iventosch

This time of year home gardeners seem to discover a plethora of zucchini popping up in their veggie gardens. There are only so many ways to prepare zucchini, and we've tried many of them from simply saut�ing or grilling it to making zucchini pancakes, zucchini bread and even chocolate-zucchini cake.

This is yet another fun way to serve it, by using the zucchini raw as a base for salad. I used my potato peeler to cut the zucchini into ribbons and then tossed the zucchini with arugula and tomatoes - another bountiful crop this time of year. From there, you can add whatever cheese or nuts you like. I used toasted pine nuts and crumbled goat cheese. A store-bought dressing will do, but there is a simple recipe for homemade shallot vinaigrette below.

Also, mark your calendars for the seventh annual Orinda Olive Festival, which will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 2 in the Wagner Ranch Nature Area. We will provide more information about the event in the next issue.