Ingredients
- 2 zucchini
- 2 kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 cup herbs
- 1 cup leek
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup mint leaves
Preparation
Baking Directions:
I put this dish together when we were on location for Tyler’s Ultimate (a show on the Food Network).
We were breaking for lunch and I raided the refrigerator of the lady we were working with.
I just pulled a couple of ingredients out and started to try to figure out how to turn it all into a salad.
It was a bit “loaves and fishes,” meaning that I didn’t have a lot to work with.
I sliced zucchini very thin, spread it out around the plate, and seasoned it with a little salt and olive oil, and the zucchini melted and got juicy.
Then I tried to figure out how to make it better: A little leek, a little fresh herb, a little ricotta cheese, and a squeeze of lemon juice on top.
It tasted so amazing that I thought, this is one for the book.
The secret to this dish is that the zucchini be sliced as thin as possible (a plastic Japanese mandoline does a nice job) so that the squash takes up the flavor of the lemon and herbs.
Shingle the zucchini slices in a single overlapping layer on a platter.
Dust with salt and pepper, then drizzle with a 3-count of olive oil and the lemon juice.
Sprinkle with the herbs.
Now scatter the leek over.
Put that in the fridge for about 10 minutes to give the flavors a chance to get into the zucchini.
Then garnish with the ricotta cheese and mint leaves.