I love ribboned zucchini salads. Zucchini is the perfect vegetable to add texture a dish without adding any distracting flavours. At home I like to toss strands with a simple lemon & olive oil dressing. I will usually add fresh herbs and other vegetables according to what’s in season at the time. This particular version tastes so much like spring to me: The sweetness from the corn and sugar snaps are complemented by the freshness of mint.

Zucchini, mint, sugar snap, and roasted corn salad.

You will need:

1 medium to large zucchini
1 cob of corn
a handful of fresh mint
a handful of fresh sugar snap peas
salt and pepper
half a lemon
extra virgin olive oil
parmesan or pecorino cheese (optional)

Preheat the oven to 180C. Remove the outer casing of the corn and wash well. Place into a baking dish, douse with olive oil, and place it into the oven for 20-30 min until cooked. Meanwhile wash the zucchini, pat dry, and trim off each end. Using a vegetable peeler, run lengthwise down the zucchini so that you form wide ribbons. Continue until you have ribboned the entire zucchini and place into a large bowl for tossing.

Leave the corn out of the oven until it is cool enough to touch, then slice off the kernels with a sharp knife and place into the tossing bowl. Wash the mint and sugar snaps, then trim their ‘hats’ and ‘belts’ off. Cut them into 1cm pieces and throw them into the tossing bowl, as well as the mint leaves (discard the stalks).

Squeeze most of the lemon onto the vegetables, using one hand to strain out the seeds. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then generously drizzle with olive oil (I love olive oil, so I usually add quite a lot). Toss gently as to not bruise the ingredients, and transfer to your serving vessel. Taste to make sure the saltiness and sourness is ok, adding more lemon or salt if it needs, and serve with light shavings of pecorino or parmesan.