Shaved zucchini, seasoned labneh, pickled onions, feta and chili crisp
When I visit my mother in the summer her incredible garden is overwhelmed by the bounty of zucchini weather she’s planted a single plant or many. The curse and blessing of this vegetable.
This recipe is loosely inspired by a dish at one of my favorite restaurants, Grana in Chico, CA. The main borrow is the pickled red onions and I’ve subbed the ricotta for labne but that’s about where the similarity ends. Its one of the few ways I’ve had raw zucchini and loved it. Unless you have impeccable knife skills (which I do not) you will definitely need a sharp Mandoline. You want the zucchini on the smaller younger side before they get spongy and soft with too many large seeds. If you have to substitute the labneh for greek yogurt I would strain it in a cheese cloth overnight to really thicken it and you’ll want to salt it decently. Adjust the heat level with either more or less chili flake or chili crisp to your liking, chili crisp brands varies widely in their heat levels. You can make a large batch of the pickled onions and keep them in your fridge (and use them in many more ways than this salad) and you can make this in minutes. I hope you find this a new favorite in your arsenal during the summer zucchini onslaught.
Serves 6 people
4-5 small Zucchini
8oz labneh (I love the Turkish brand Icim)
4oz feta in brine (I love the sharp Bulgarian feta you can find in middle eastern markets)
1 medium lemon, zest and juice
1/2 tsp chili flakes
2 tbsp of Extra Virgin olive oil + more for finishing
1 medium red onion
½ cup of vinegar of your choice (I used a mixture of rice, white balsamic and champagne)
½ cup water
½ tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp pink peppercorns
2 bay leaves
4 tbsp sugar
Chili crisp homemade or store bought (I like the ones with Szechuan peppercorns in them)
Flaky salt like maldon
Freshly cracked black pepper
1-2 tbsp Fine herbs for garnish, flat leaf parsley, chives, cilantro, mint or a mixture
For the pickled onions:
Have a heat proof container ready, I prefer a pint glass jar.
Combine the vinegar(s), coriander seeds, pepercorns, bay leaves, water, sugar and vinegar in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. While you wait for the water to boil, slice the red onion in half through the core (longitudinally) and peel. Top and tail the onion then slice the onion lengthwise (top to tail) at an angle so you get ¼ inch wedges (think of the way you would slice a lemon into a wedge). Put the onions in the container. Once the brine is boiling, turn off the heat and pour over the onions. Stir and make sure they are completely submerged and let cool completely before putting them in the fridge. They will turn vibrant pink as they sit in the vinegar. Give them at least 2 hours before serving, even better, overnight. These can be made well in advance. They will keep in the fridge for months.
For the labneh:
Put the labneh in a small mixing bowl and add the chili flakes, the zest of the lemon, 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp cracked black pepper and salt to taste (some store bought labneh are already salted so taste before adding). Whisk to combine. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use, can be made a day ahead. Let sit out for about an hour before serving to come to room temperature.
To serve, wash the zucchini, cut the stem off and slice lengthwise as thinly as possible on a Mandoline so you have long ribbons. Stir the labneh so it is smooth and smear across a platter. Place the zucchini ribbons on the platter curling and rolling as you go. Crumble the feta over the zucchini. Sprinkle the pickled onions over the top (you will have lots of extra). Drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of the chili crisp over the entire dish, or more if you like. Squeeze the lemon over everything, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with the flaky salt. Scatter the herbs and serve.