Zucchini, Basil, and Macadamia Salad
Zucchini is plentiful in the summer and usually available throughout the year. I love it and am always looking for creative ways to use it. This salad is simple but elegant. Macadamia nuts are sweet, crunchy, and juicy. A few salty nuts are enough to add a salty crunch. Basil and Parmesan add aroma and sharpness to to the mild grilled zucchini and make this a perfect side salad to be shared. I modified this recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi’s book Plenty.
This recipe makes enough for four. To prepare the salad you will need:
1/3 cup of salted and roasted macadamia nuts, chopped or slivered
7 small or 3 larger zucchini (or about 1 3/4 pounds)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon of good balsamic vinegar
1 1/4 cups basil, whole leaves or chiffonade if the leaves are too large
3 ounces of good Parmesan, thinly sliced and broken
2 teaspoon of a nutty oil (hazelnut, walnut, sunflower) or very good olive oil
salt and pepper
Heat a ribbed griddle pan on high heat until it is red hot, or heat the BBQ to high. While the griddle is heating, cut the ends off the zucchini and cut into 3/4-inch slices at an angle. Put the zucchini in a bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper. Place the slices on the griddle or grill and and cook the slices for about 2 minutes on each side. You want grill marks on each side of the zucchini so keep the griddle very hot. Place each slice on a large plate to cool once it’s done. Don’t over cook or let the zucchini get too soft. You want the zucchini to be firm but tender.
Once the zucchini all the zucchini is done, place it back in the bowl and toss it gently with the balsamic vinegar. Let it cool completely and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the macadamia nuts, and the basil leaves. Mix the salad carefully and add a bit more salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the salad to a large plate. Top the salad with the shredded Parmesan, and drizzle it with nutty oil (hazelnut oil is the best).
This salad looks beautiful and really brings the taste of summer to the table any time of year.
Yum!