Zucchini Carpaccio''s Best Week Ever

So, I’d been eating too much meat.  After days of centering every single meal around some big cut, I realized it was time for a little break.  There aren’t too many times in my life that I can honestly say this, but what I wanted was zucchini.  And for those in need of a zucchini recipe, there really is only one place to go: Chocolate and Zucchini .

This adoring blog is in no need of more attention -she actually just put out a glossy book- but it really is a wonderful place.  After figuring out the French name for these green squashes (courgettes), I was able to find recipe that sounded fresh and interesting.  It was going to be a thinly sliced zucchini salad, which would require no cooking.  And I was all for that.

Strangely, the recipe reminded me of something I had read that week in the Times .  And sure enough, they had a recipe for zucchini carpaccio out that week, which is probably more exposure than this dish has ever received in its history.  And I'm just going to prolong the good times that zucchini carpaccio has had over the last week.

While both recipes were fairly similar, the Times marinated the sliced zuchini for 30 minutes in lemon and oil, and also added some thinly sliced avocado for some heft.  Chocolate and Zucchini added some goat cheese.  Faced with such a tough decision, I just decided to cop out and add it all.

Zucchini Carpaccio

• 4 zucchinis
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 avocado
• fresh thyme
• goat cheese
• salt

Adapted from the New York Times and Chocolate and Zucchini .

Thinly slice the zucchini.  A mandolin works great, but the vegetable peeler is perfect, too.

It should be paper thin, quite like this.

Whisk together the lemon juice and oil.

Lay the zucchini in a bowl and pour in the lemon mixture.  Let it rest for 30 minutes.

Thinly slice the avocado, and your guess is as the best as mine about how to do that.  The vegetable peeler worked decently, but it was far from perfect.

On a nice clean white plate, alternately lay a slice of zucchini and then some avocado.

Garnish with thyme and some goat cheese.

Avocado, Cheese, Goat Cheese, Vegetables, Zucchini