Summer Vegetable Salad

My favorite time to cook is the summer months. More accurately, it is my favorite time to un-cook. My kitchen is exposed and suffers from poor air circulation. It gets hot and the idea of using the oven for more then a few minutes makes me seriously uncomfortable. Plus, I have little room in my heart for stews, soups and roasts when I feel as if I do all three as soon as I set foot outside the comfort of my air conditioned house. The silver lining? This time of year when fresh fruits and veggies abound, there is no reason to ever light those burners or switch the oven dial to “on”.

In kitchens country wide fresh salads overflow with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, squash, you name it. Everything you can carry home with you from the weekly markets can be eaten as is and many of those gleaming vegetables are markedly improved by a lack of cooking.

You would never dream of stewing those heirloom tomatoes so why banish your summer squash to a fiery fate? Next time you carry pattypan squash, yellow crookneck squash or zucchini home with you, think raw.

A recent trip to Sylvain was the inspiration for this salad. The chef used a refreshing combination of raw veggies, including squash, tomato and onion, to create a gorgeous salad fresh from the stalls of the farmer’s market. I liked it so much, I had to make it at home. Take note though, to make this salad properly you will need either very steady hands or a mandoline to cut both the vidalia onions and squash into paper thin slices. That one glitch not withstanding, the salad is quick, easy and delicious and will be a wonderful reminder of the glory of raw summer vegetables. Eat up!

Summer Vegetable Salad (serves 4)

1 large summer squash (any variety  – we used Pattypan)
2 large, ripe tomatoes
1 vidalia onion
4 oz goat cheese
1 cup arugula
White balsamic vinaigrette

First make our basic vinaigrette, substituting white balsamic vinegar for the white wine vinegar. Then, using a mandoline or steady hands and a sharp knife, slice the vidalia onion and summer squash as thinly as possible, leaving each slice intact. Set both aside in a bowl with enough salad dressing to coat. Don’t overdo it, as white balsamic can be quite overpowering. Allow the vegetables to marinate for approximately 30 minutes, or until they begin to soften.  When ready to serve cut thick slices of the tomato, about two slices per person. On a bed of arugula, plate the vidalia onion on the tomato and top with the sliced squash. Finish off with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, a dash more vinaigrette and about 1 oz of crumbled goat cheese per person. Serve immediately.