Zucchini Corn Salad

This has now become a staple for us. The raw zucchini actually tastes like al dente pasta and the creamy avocado sauce makes it seem wildly decadent. Zucchini vary greatly in size so use your judgement, I usually use 3 zucchini for this amount of sauce. Leftovers keep remarkably well in the refrigerator for a day but I like to serve it as freshly made as possible.

For the sauce:
1 lime, juiced
1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon minced jalapeno
1 small clove of garlic, minced
water to thin, if needed
salt and pepper

For the rest:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium ear of corn, kernels shaved off
½ teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper, to taste
2-3 medium zucchinis, Spiralized like spaghetti with Blade D, noodles trimmed (or make a lengthwise slit halfway through the zucchini before spiralizing to make little noodle circles.
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Once oil is shimmering, add the corn and season with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Cook for 5 minutes or until corn is cooked through and fork tender. Set aside when done.
2. Place all of the ingredients for the sauce into a food processor and pulse until creamy. Taste and adjust, if needed.
3. Place your zucchini noodles into a bowl, pour over the creamy sauce and mix to combine thoroughly.
4. Divide the dressed noodles into two to three plates and top with corn and tomatoes.

This is not as filling as pasta, in fact, quite light, so figure this will serve 2-3 people for lunch or 4 people as a side for dinner.

Basil Almond Paté

My friend, Carole Kahn, makes this when we come for dinner, knowing how much I love it. Now I can make it myself and I encourage you to give it a try. It's delicious and nice to serve with thin slices of cheese like Manchego on the side, as she recently did. You'll want either crackers or toasted French bread to spread it on. Yum!

1 c almonds
1 c basil, tightly packed
1/4 c water
1/4 c olive oil
2 Tbl lemon juice
1 Tbl shoyu
2 tsp garlic, minced
Sea salt
Black pepper
Cayenne pepper to taste

Soak almonds 8 hrs or overnight
Place almonds in food processor & process until smooth
Add remaining ingredients, process until smooth, scraping sides a couple of times

Trail Mix Salad ala Izaak Walton Inn

I can’t give exact proportions because I got the "recipe" directly from the chef at Izaak Walton Inn, which existed of a list of ingredients. I will give you the Champagne Vinaigrette recipe I used but you may have a favorite. The salad is named for the delicious Trail Snack they included in our lunches when we had boxed lunches packed for a day of skiing. I store the trail snack, dressing and greens separately and put them altogether an hour or so before serving. The amounts below will make a large bowl of salad, serving about 8-10.

Mix in large bowl:
dinosaur kale (I use 1-1.5 bunches), cores and stems removed, shredded (I use the food processor)
shredded Brussel sprouts, I use about 1.5 cups whole, or to taste (I use the food processor)
stems of 1 bunch broccoli, julienned (save the florettes for another use)

Champagne Vinaigrette:
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tablespoons dijon Mustard
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey
2 or 3 dashes hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Whisk together the garlic, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, hot sauce, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is emulsified. Alternatively, you can combine all the ingredients in a blender or a food processor and pureé until smooth.

Trail Mix (to sprinkle on top and lightly mix in):
roasted whole almonds, roughly chopped
roasted and salted shelled sunflower seeds
dried apricots (sliced in thin slices)
dried sour cherries or cranberries, roughly chopped