I was doing my blog surfing yesterday morning and paid a visit to my buddies White on Rice Couple. They always have captivating blog posts, this one in particular offered a unique opportunity. They are a part of the super fun Summer Fest community. This is the third year of this blogger event. Each week until the end of August Margaret Roach from A Way to Garden has chosen a garden fresh produce selection for us. It is up to the community to create recipes and share our creations with the world. It is a unique opportunity to meet new bloggers and showcase the summer’s bounty.
Summer Fest sweeps a broad range of participants. There are gardeners, bloggers and recipe developers. I have something to confess to you all. I am not a gardener. No green thumb over here. Feel free to hand over your garden fresh fruits & veggies. I’ll create something special & tasty with them. I think we are all put onto this Earth to celebrate our unique talents and growing things in my backyard has never been one of them.
This week Summer Fest celebrates Zukes and Cukes. I went with Zukes for this recipe. Greek salads are my go-to year round salad. Usually I combine feta & chopped veggies with varied lettuces or baby spinach leaves. Here I play around with texture and use julienned zucchini to mix things up a bit. It is amazing how a veggie can be cut & trimmed in so many ways. Each presentation gives it a special twist in a dish. For example, I usually cut my zucchini into rounds or spears. In this salad the julienne makes this salad kind of like a slaw.
This zucchini salad is a nice replacement for traditional cole slaw. I would love to try using it as an alternative topping for a hot dog or burger. Next time you BBQ, hold the relish & sauerkraut & try something new.
Each bite of this salad is filled with briny olive flavor, salty feta & crisp veggies. The bell pepper maintains lots of crunch while the zucchini marinates and softens very quickly. Serve this salad nice and cold, straight out of the fridge is best.
Who says kids don’t eat their veggies? The Nugget can’t keep his hands off these Zukes.
a
What kinds of unique ways do you use zucchini? Feel free to share some links in your comments!
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Zucchini Recipe Links
- Zucchini Breakfast Casserole Simply Recipes
- Grilled Zucchini Roll Cookin’ Canuck
- Zucchini Fritters with Feta and Dill Eats Well with Others
- Pasta with Zucchini Parmesan and Garlic One Perfect Bite
- Chocolate Zucchini Spelt Cake Anja’s Food for Thought
Matt Armendariz of MattBites made that neato Summer Fest logo above. Here is a list of the host bloggers for Summer Fest 2010. At these blogs you will find more Zucchini and Cucumber recipe links. If you create a post leave a comment on these host blogs and link to your creation along with your twitter name.
- Away to Garden with Margaret Roach @MargaretRoach
- Scripps/Food Network with Deb Puchalla @DebPuchalla
- Healthy Eats, Food Network Blog with Elizabeth Gray @healthyeats
- Food Network Dish & Cooking Channel , Kristin Vala and Sara Levine @foodnetwork , @cookingchannel
- Cooking Channel Devour The Blog with Michelle Buffardi @mbuffardi
- Food2 Blog with Alison Sickelka @ali_s
- Just A Taste with Kelly Senyei @justataste
- Food Philosophy with Jennifer Iannolo @foodphilosophy
- Remarkable Palate with Chef Mark Tafoya @chefmark
- Alice Q Foodie with Alice @aliceqfoodie
- Pinch My Salt with Nicole @pinchmysalt
- Caroline Wright Food with Caroline @chefcaroline
- San Diego Food Stuff with Caron Golden @carondg
- Sweet Nicks with Cate O’Malley
- Gluten Free Girl with Shauna and Danny Ahern @glutenfreegirl
- The Sister Project with Paige Smith Orloff @paigeorloff
- Tea and Cookies with Tara Weaver
- Eat From the Ground Up with Alana Chernila @alanachernila
- Tigress in a Pickle with Tigress
What a cutie:) Love the salad too! I am loving this cucumber feta salad:
http://twopeasandtheirpod.com/cucumber-feta-salad/
What a fun summer event!
This looks amazing, and he is adorable. Your photography rocks!
I love coming over and reading your posts, your recipes are so fresh and beautiful. Love your little cutie pie too! Talk soon!
Classic combo for summer! GREG
Some kids eat veggies… You are lucky mother!
That salad looks wonderful!
Cheers,
Rosa
Wow, Marla, this salad looks so deilcious and perfect for summer! And your son is one adorable, veggie-eatin’ kid… I know a lot of parents must be envious!
Also, if you’re interested, I’m having a silicone muffin pan giveaway on my blog – You should enter!
Marla, this sounds very good. I think I am going to try it. Cute picture of our guy enjoying the salad. Hugs and kisses. Judy
This does look like summer in a dish!
looks so delicious!
So excited for this!…we received 3 zucchinis in our farmshare this week…along with a bell peppers and tomatoes…so what a yummy way to use them up! Thanks!
Love the summer fest idea! Found your site looking for feta recipes and you have some great looking salads with feta!
I love Greek salads, and this sounds great with the zucchini! I’m making a salad with feta for dinner tonight. Can’t wait!
I love simple salads like this! So glad you’re participating in Summer Fest!! 🙂
Love this. It woukld be awesome on a burger. I love the fresh dill added for a bite of flavor. My mouth always waters when I look at your blog.
The nugget gets cuter everyday.
Angie, you asked me why I did not put vinegar or some lemon juice in this salad. I had the lemon out & I was absolutely gonna use it to add some acid. I am happy I did a taste test right before I did so. The zucchini picked up so much flavor from the olives and the cheese that the lemon would have been over kill. It also would have made it too mushy. I do love lemon and love using just that and olive oil on my green salads as a dressing.
This is a beautiful salad- so fresh! It’s a great way to use the multitude of zucchini that we’re blessed with at this time of year. Thanks for sharing.
A+ on a delicious AND beautiful AND healthy salad!
although feta is far from my favorite cheese, i have to admit that it makes for a lovely salad topping. gorgeous work, marla!
This is a wonderful salad (once again!), Marla. In fact, all of your recent summer recipes have been true keepers and perfectly match what I really want to eat on these hot weather days.
What an easy, pretty salad. I love 2-step method sections!
Dara, I know aren’t two step recipes the best! Amazing what “fast food” can really be.
Barbara, so glad you have been enjoying my summer selections. I have been having a blast concepting warm weather recipes.
Grace, perhaps you can try another cheese. I was considering using some grated Parmesan instead.
Wow that is so beautiful! Almost too pretty to eat 🙂 …almost!
Hey I’m a new follower! I love your blog!
What a great recipe Marla, I’m definitely giving this one a try! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
I love love greek salads- they are totally my go tos as well. I love this variety and happen to have everything necessary on hand 🙂 Your little on is such a cutie
Marla, this looks wonderful and it certainly is seasonally friendly. I love your recipes and your photos. As long as you keep them coming, I” keep coming back. I hope you have a wonderful day. Blessings…Mary
hi beautiful! love what you said about strength training not only being good for our bodies outwardly but inwardly SO important for our bones and health that way too….you are so right!
Hope you guys have a great weekend lined up. I am off to power walk w/ the fam and then lift! Btw thank you again, SO MUCH for the wardrobe stash for Skylar…this COLD summer we are having….well, all those hoodies you gave us are all being put to use, daily!
xoxo
Gorgeous recipe and shot! Love your blog, will come here often!
OOOH! Look at all the feta scattered and sort of oozing on top….Ah! I just wish I can dig in with a pitch fork!
love feta. Will have to try. Thanks for sharing
Plan B
Wow, that salad looks awesome – can’t wait to try it!
Greek salads are the best and zucchini and feta has recently become my favorite flavor combination. The olives and the tomatoes definitely add such a nice twist to this salad!
That zucchini salad looks divine. And I love seeing the little man eating. Goes to show that if you make veggies fun and flavorful kids will love them. Also, they have to be available, which you obviously make happen.
I love how you shredded the zucchini for this, I never would have thought to shred it and keep it raw! It sounds phenomenal though! And that’s so cute that you cook with your kiddies! 🙂
omg delish!! What a perfect summer dish! Love it girl!
I’m a first time gardener having not great luck. I have to supplement greatly with the farmers markets! This salad sounds delicious. I wish I had more squash pouring from my garden!
So you did a drive-by, huh, and you didn’t stop in to see the garden and have a glass of tea? : )
Marla…when you make veggies fun…kids will come.
As I can see…your son is very happy in your healthy environment.
We make similar salads like these all the time…especially when I’m not truly in the mood to cook up a storm ;o) A great slice of artisanal bread…and I’m a happy camper.
Flavourful wishes,
Claudia
P.S. Don’t sell yourself short…you’ve got plenty of talent ;o)
Such a bright colorful summer salad! I love the fresh herbs olive and feta in there! You son looks darling. 🙂
Beautiful salad. And yummy looking too.