zucchini and asparagus crudi

Okay, I’m stretching. (Though technically, it is still September.) But, it is the last day. So I’m stretching this summer out and making one last summer salad.

Refreshing, light, crunchy, and delicious! A nice bite from the lemon vinagariette, creaminess from the Pecorino, and crunch from the raw veggies makes this seemingly ordinary salad something extraordinary. (Crudi means raw in Italian.) And it takes literally five minutes to prepare so go to it!

One more quick thing: because there are so few components to this salad, you need to make sure that the ingredients you use are the freshest possible. Get some high quality olive oil and cheese and the thinnest asparagus out there for the best flavors.

Zucchini and Asparagus Crudi

Serves 4, as a side dish.

2 zucchinis, trimmed

1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 ounce shaved Pecorino Romano, for garnish

Using a vegetable peeler, shave the zucchini into long thin strips. Thinly slice the asparagus on a diagonal. Toss the slices together and place the salad in a serving bowl.

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and drizzle over the vegetables.

Toss to coat. Garnish with the pecorino shavings. Enjoy!