I understand the texture problem people have with zucchini. Or, I understand how the texture of a food can make it either beloved or loathed. Texture is why I hated watermelon for so long. It’s largely why I hate jello. And we all know what happens to vegetables–zucchini or otherwise–that are cooked within an inch of their green-growing lives.

I’m having flashbacks to Spargelfest just thinking about it.

One way to avoid overcooking vegetables until they turn into a gluey, unholy mess is to not cook them at all! You can do this with zucchini. Watch, I’ll show you!

Recipe # 2: Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Lemon, Mint and Feta

3 small (I keep saying small. Do you know how big these suckers can get?) green and/or yellow zucchini

juice of 1/2 a lemon

1 tsp olive oil

salt & pepper

3 tbsp fresh mint, chopped

Grab your veggie peeler and remove the skin. Peel the rest of the squash into ribbons, but stop when you start to see the seeds. Even in the small ones, the seeds can still be slightly bitter. Reserve the core of the zuke for another use. (Don’t worry; I’m going to give you some ideas in the next post!)

Stop when you see this.

Put the ribbons in a bowl.

Add the lemon juice, olive oil, feta and mint. Sprinkle with coarse salt and black pepper.

Toss well and serve.

Looks a little like tagliatelle, doesn’t it? And the texture’s not so very different, really, from good al dente pasta. The ribbons are sweet and tender, but still a little crisp. And I’ll eat pretty much anything that combines lemon, mint and feta.

I’m more than a little in love with this salad. You know I’m a fan of this ingredient, but this? This might just top all.

Trust me. Make it. I really think you’ll love it.