Yep: Owen is back in school and the nights are getting crisper here in the northeast, but in our house we’re still holding onto the last gasps of summer. The garden out back, late planted this year, is finally starting to yield some beautiful tomatoes, so we’re finding lots of ways to use up this year’s bounty. This salad is one of our favorites.
Use the very best ricotta you can find. Seriously. It makes all the difference.
Method:
1 c. haricot vert, trimmed
1.5 c. small tomatoes (a nice mix of varieties), halved
Prepare an ice bath by filling a mixing bowl with ice water. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Hit the water with some coarse salt. Blanche the haricot vert in the salt water for two minutes. Fish them out with a slotted spoon and plunge the haricot vert into the ice bath. Once cool, dry the beans on paper towels. Cut the haricot vert into two-inch pieces.
Trim the ends of the zucchini. Using a mandolin or a vegetable peeler, shave the zucchini lengthwise. Cut the shaved zucchini into two and a half-inch rectangles.
In a mixing bowl, combine the haricot vert, tomatoes, strawberries, zucchini and some torn basil and mint leaves. Season the fruit and vegetables with a good three-fingered pinch of coarse salt. Lightly dress the mixture with just enough of the basil-mint vinaigrette to coat and toss gently. Taste and adjust seasonings.
