Zucchini Ribbon Salad

Hot week. Ninety-three degrees on Wednesday, which in Milwaukee means the whole city melts. People camp out in air-conditioned bars. The lake is packed. My apartment doesn't have great AC, so I've been cooking things that don't require an oven: salads, cold soups, grilled stuff on the balcony. Made a watermelon and feta salad on Tuesday — sounds weird, tastes incredible. Cubed watermelon, crumbled feta, fresh mint, a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lime. It's cold and sweet and salty and refreshing and I ate the entire bowl in one sitting. This is not Polish food. Babcia would be confused. But it's good food, and I'm learning that good food doesn't have to come from one tradition. Thursday was hockey night — summer league is casual but competitive. We won 6-3. I didn't score but I set up two goals and only took one penalty (holding — my hands have a mind of their own). After the game, the guys went to a sports bar and I ordered the wings and they were terrible — soggy, underseasoned, warmed-over. I've ruined restaurant wings for myself. My dry-rubbed grilled wings are better. This is either progress or snobbery. Maybe both. The head brewer approved all three recipe proposals. All three. The smoked wheat goes into production next month, the rye saison in September, and the mushroom stout — the weird one, the scary one — in October. I'll have five original recipes in the Lakefront lineup. At twenty. Marcus shook my hand, which Marcus never does. "Five recipes before twenty-one," he said. "That's a record." Babcia's Sunday: she served a cold cucumber soup — mizeria, which is literally just sliced cucumbers in sour cream with dill. It takes five minutes to make. It's perfect for ninety-degree days. Babcia ate half a bowl and said she wasn't hungry. Mom fussed. Dad was quiet. I drove home thinking about how many Sundays I have left. You don't know that number. Nobody does. You just show up every week and eat the soup and listen to the humming and hope it never stops.

The watermelon feta salad taught me something I keep relearning: the best summer food fights the heat with simplicity, not effort. Babcia’s mizeria — five minutes, five ingredients, perfect — is proof of that philosophy going back generations. This zucchini ribbon salad lives in the same spirit: no oven, no sweat, just a sharp peeler and whatever fresh things you have on hand. It’s the kind of dish I’ll bring to Sunday dinners all summer, hoping Babcia eats more than half a bowl.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 15 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

4 medium zucchini (about 2 lbs), ends trimmed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 small garlic clove, finely grated or minced
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, torn
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1/3 cup shaved parmesan or pecorino romano
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts or chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions

Ribbon the zucchini. Using a Y-shaped vegetable peeler, peel each zucchini lengthwise into long, thin ribbons, rotating the zucchini as you work. Stop when you reach the seedy core (discard or save the core for another use). Place the ribbons in a large colander set over a bowl.
Draw out excess moisture. Toss the zucchini ribbons with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and let them sit in the colander for 10 minutes. This softens the ribbons slightly and pulls out water that would otherwise dilute your dressing. After 10 minutes, gently squeeze handfuls of ribbons and pat dry with paper towels.
Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, black pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using) until emulsified. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
Dress and toss. Transfer the dried zucchini ribbons to a large mixing bowl. Pour the dressing over the top and gently toss with tongs or your hands until the ribbons are evenly coated.
Add the herbs and cheese. Scatter the mint, basil, and dill over the salad and toss gently once more. Transfer to a serving platter or large shallow bowl. Top with shaved parmesan and toasted pine nuts if using.
Serve immediately. This salad is best eaten right away while the herbs are bright and the ribbons still have some texture. If making ahead, hold the dressing, herbs, and cheese separately and combine just before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Zucchini Ribbon Salad — The Summer of Simple, Honest Food