Courgette/Zucchinni and Cantaloupe Salad with Preserved Lemon Dressing (Yotam Ottolenghi)
Salad, Side
Ingredients
2 courgettes (about 400g), halved lengthways, seeds removed, flesh cut on an angle into 3-4cm-long pieces
80g broad beans or edamame, skins removed
10g (2½ tbsp) parsley, roughly chopped
½ cantaloupe melon (about 400g), peeled, seeds scooped out, cut similar to the courgettes
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp runny honey
10g (2 tbsp) basil leaves, picked
40g pumpkin seeds, toasted
60g manchego, thinly shaved with a peeler
For the dressing:
15g pumpkin seeds, toasted
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
25g preserved lemon, pips removed, flesh and skin roughly chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
Fine sea salt and black pepper
25g parsley leaves
25g basil leaves
80ml olive oil
Description
Courgette and cantaloupe salad with preserved lemon dressing (pictured top)
Nothing tastes of summer quite like a sweet melon. Use the ripest in-season fruit you can find, and serve as a light meal or with grilled chicken or fish.
Directions
First make the dressing. Put the pumpkin seeds, garlic, preserved lemon and lemon juice in a food processor, add a half-teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, then blitz to a coarse paste. Add the parsley, basil and two tablespoons of water, blitz again to combine, then, with the motor running, slowly pour in the oil until it’s all incorporated. Transfer to a large bowl, add the courgette, broad beans, parsley and a quarter-teaspoon of salt, then toss to coat and leave to marinate for about 10 minutes.
Toss the melon with the lemon and honey. Arrange the courgette mixture on a platter, top with the melon, basil leaves, pumpkin seeds and manchego, and serve.