Popping up at farmer’s markets are those familiar long green, yellow, or striped summer squashes ready to be transformed into various culinary creations like crudites, lasagna, salads, quick breads, and my flavor of the season, carpaccio!
What is this fancy sounding food? Well, it’s from Italy, like my heritage, and was coined in 1950 by Giuseppe Cipriani, the owner of Harry’s Bar in Venice, Italy. A countess who was dining at his restaurant was advised by doctors to eat raw meat, so Giuseppe came up with a dish of thinly sliced raw beef with a creme sauce. This dish was named Carpaccio after the celebrated 15th century Venetian painter Vittore Carpaccio, who was known for his use of vivid color.
Zucchini comes from the Italian word “zucca” which means squash, and “zucchini” means little squash. Vittore would be proud of this seasonal zucchini carpaccio, as it’s hues are indeed magnificent!
Ingredients:
- 2 medium zucchini
- Juice of 1 small lime
- Zest of 1/2 lime
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- Sprinkle of salt
Directions:
With a mandoline, or with a sharp knife, slice your zucchini as finely and as straight as possible, either length-wise or width-wise. Keep the peel on, as it holds most of the nutritional content. Lay your slices down on a plate, and squeeze your lime juice over the carpaccio, then add your olive oil. Finish with a sprinkle of salt to taste and top with some bright green lime zest.
Cheers to seasonal summer eating!
Photo courtesy of graibeard
Tags: butter beans, carpaccio, cooking, dinner, edible gardens, food, food education, food stories, giuseppe cipriani, harry's bar, healthy eating, healthy food, healthy lunch, heritage, italy, lime, lime juice, lime zest, local food, lunch, olive oil, quick breads, recipe, salt, seasonal eating, snacks, summer, summer sqaush, vegetarian, venice, venice italy, vitamin C, vittore carpaccio, water, zucchini