With Labor Day approaching, I’m slowly coming around to accepting the fact that summer is almost over for the year. While we will still have summerish days, I know fall is imminent. And I can live with that. But I’m still going to try to avoid the inevitable as much as I can. With my garden still producing zucchini, it’s not so hard to still believe in summer.
A few blogs back, my cousin Stephanie commented on a zucchini recipe I posted. She requested more recipes featuring zucchini, as she was about to be inundated with the crop. That’s not unusual. Zucchini plants are known for being prolific and harvesting the fruit frequently yields larger crops. The two plants in my garden give us plenty of zucchini to enjoy a few times a week with enough left over to share with Kelly & Gilbert. Even though I check my garden at least every other day, I still sometimes miss a hidden zucchini. Eric lets me know when I’ve overlooked one by telling me he found a baseball bat in the garden. While zucchini are most tender & flavorful when picked (or purchased!) at about 6-8 inches long, bigger ones are still edible, their seeds will just be larger.
Couscous Salad with Zucchini, Peas & Almonds
Couscous Salad with Zucchini, Peas & Almonds (adapted from Bklyn Larder via foodandwine.com) Total Time: 35 minutes Serves: 6 to 8
Ingredients:
- 2 cups couscous
- 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth, divided
- 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
- 1 1/2 cups (about 1/2 pound) finely diced zucchini
- 6 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- zest & juice of 1 lemon or 3 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 2/3 cup whole almonds
- 1/2 cup sliced scallions
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped mint
- 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Directions:
Coat the almonds with the teaspoon of olive oil and dust them with a pinch of salt. Roast them in a 350º oven for 15-20 minutes. Set the almonds aside and allow them to cool.
Bring 2 cups of broth to boiling. Remove it from the heat, add the couscous, then cover it and let it stand for 5 minutes.
Allow the cooked couscous to cool while prepping the rest of the ingredients.
Bring the remaining 1/2 cup of broth to a boil then add in the peas, boiling them for for 1-2 minutes if fresh or thawed and 2-3 minutes for frozen peas. Drain the peas, reserving 1/4 cup of the broth.
Cook the peas in some broth.
In a skillet, sauté the zucchini and sliced garlic in 3 tablespoons of the olive oil until the zucchini are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Season the zucchini with salt and pepper and let it cool to room temperature.
Sauté the zucchini & garlic.
In a small bowl, mix the reserved pea cooking water with the lemon zest & juice and the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Fluff the couscous and pour this dressing on top.
Add all the remaining ingredients to the couscous & dressing.
Stir in the zucchini, peas, almonds, scallions, parsley and mint. Season with salt, black pepper and the red pepper flakes. Serve at room temperature.
Loads of veggies here!
There’s still time to harvest & enjoy zucchini! ~Linda
Couscous Salad with Zucchini, Peas & Almonds (adapted from Bklyn Larder via foodandwine.com) Total Time: 35 minutes Serves: 6 to 8
Ingredients:
- 2 cups couscous
- 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth, divided
- 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
- 1 1/2 cups (about 1/2 pound) finely diced zucchini
- 6 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- zest & juice of 1 lemon or 3 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 2/3 cup whole almonds
- 1/2 cup sliced scallions
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped mint
- 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Directions:
Coat the almonds with the teaspoon of olive oil and dust them with a pinch of salt. Roast them in a 350º oven for 15-20 minutes. Set the almonds aside and allow them to cool.
Bring 2 cups of broth to boiling. Remove it from the heat, add the couscous, then cover it and let it stand for 5 minutes.
Bring the remaining 1/2 cup of broth to a boil then add in the peas, boiling them for for 1-2 minutes if fresh or thawed and 2-3 minutes for frozen peas. Drain them, reserving 1/4 cup of the broth.
In a skillet, sauté the zucchini and sliced garlic in 3 tablespoons of the olive oil until the zucchini are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Season the zucchini with salt and pepper and let it cool to room temperature.
In a small bowl, mix the reserved pea cooking water with the lemon zest & juice and the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Fluff the couscous and pour this dressing on top.
Stir in the zucchini, peas, almonds, scallions, parsley and mint. Season with salt, black pepper and the red pepper flakes. Serve at room temperature.