Guest Blogger: Heather French’s Raw Zucchini Salad with Ghost Pepper Peach Dressing
Heather French is a friend and founder of LilaMae.com, one of my favorite sites for entertaining, bespoke foodie ingredients, and skin care. And what’s really cool is that they are all MADE IN THE USA. I adore Heather’s merchandise assortment and style. I have to try this recipe asap, I’m ordering the two secret ingredients she talks about as soon as I finish loading up this blog!
A note from Heather: “I was thrilled that Holli invited me to share a recipe because I have been fortunate enough to enjoy–and cook with—a bountiful garden harvest this year. I was inspired to create this particular recipe after picking string beans, zucchini, tomatoes and herbs in my backyard. There is something particularly majestic about the purple beans used here; they turn green when cooked but maintain their brilliant color when served raw. I also wanted to incorporate Grace & I’s Ghost Pepper Preserves, a new favorite of mine. These rare and wonderful organic preserves offer a spicy-sweet kick that perfectly compliments fresh summer veggies and herbs. Enjoy!”
Ingredients
(all organic please!)
Salad
2 large or 4 small zucchini
1 cup of chopped string beans
1 cup of chopped heirloom tomatoes
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 Tablespoons fresh chopped chives
1/4 cup slivered fresh basil
4 Tablespoons (divided) Grace and I Ghost Pepper + Peach Preserves or as a substitute: mix together 1 ripe peach, chopped, 1 jalapeno pepper diced, 1 Tablespoon maple syrup, a dash of cayenne and salt and pepper to taste
Dressing
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons of red wine or sherry wine vinegar. (We love
Noble Tonic 3, Maple Matured Sherry Bourbon Oak Vinegar or other sherry vinegar)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 Tablespoon maple syrup (optional)
Preparation
1. Spiralize the zucchini with spiralizer. We like this one by Williams Sonoma. If you don’t have a spiralizer, use a knife, mandolin, or julienne peeler to create julienned zucchini strips. Place in a large serving bowl.
2. Toss the zucchini with 1 teaspoon of olive oil.
3. Mix in string beans and tomatoes.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar into ½ cup of olive oil. Stir in 1 tablespoon of Ghost pepper jam
5. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Divide salad onto 4 plates.
8. Sprinkle each salad with fresh chives and basil.
10. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of Ghost Pepper Preserves or substitute mixture to the center of each salad and serve.
Heather French is the Founder of LilaMae.com and an expert in how environmental factors impact the body and the brain. She worked as a Brain Integration Therapist for many years before launching Lila Mae in 2012. Lilamae.com is an online shopping destination offering small batch luxury goods made with organic ingredients and natural materials. “Lila Mae’s products — from skincare to accessories and home decor — are beautiful inside and out,” says Heather. “They are crafted by local makers using methods that nurture your health and safeguard our environment.”
