This salad was supposed to be a cake. I mean, I meant for today’s post to be a honey-sweetened, berry-studded, lemon-infused cake. I thought my second attempt at the cake would be just right, but I ran out of eggs and tried to get away with two instead of three. This is what happened. On the upside, I have an excuse to eat cake for breakfast over the next week. I can’t decide which I love more: cake for breakfast, or breakfast for dinner?
Instead of cake, I decided to share a delightful summer salad today. The salad features ribboned squash tossed with feta, pine nuts and a lemon vinaigrette. It’s refreshing and crisp, a perfect side for a light summer meal. I think it would go great with a light pasta dish or grilled fish and a glass of chilled white wine. If you haven’t tried raw squash, I hope you’ll get out your vegetable peeler and give it a try. It’s my favorite way to eat squash.
This recipe comes from a new cookbook called Small Gatherings, which I received from the publisher. It’s filled with fresh, inspired menus for seasonal entertaining. I don’t have a proper dining area so I don’t entertain often, but I’d like to someday. The menus are built around meaty main courses, but the meals are very produce focused as a whole. The photos are lovely, too, so I thought the book deserved a proper mention. Side note, did you know that citrus-based vinaigrettes are sometimes called citronettes? Now that I think about it, it makes perfect sense because the word vinaigrette implies vinegar. Citronette is the most adorable word I’ve come across in a long time. It makes me think of dancing cartoon clementines.
P.s. If you like this salad, you’ll probably also enjoy my Mediterranean pasta salad. And if you’re looking for Independence Day potluck recipes, look no further.
