Summer squash & arugula salad

Last Saturday we had our first family outing to the farmer's market in Issaquah, something my hubby and I used to do nearly every Saturday before Otto was born. This time of year the farmer's markets are full of delicious-looking produce. After wanting to buy everything, but realizing I don't have as much time to cook anymore, we ended up with beets, nectarines, summer squash, dill, radishes, and carrots. And that's not buying everything that looked good!

To eat alongside our leftover pasta tonight, I decided to make a salad out of the summer squash. I am always looking for new ways to cook summer squash and zucchini, since they are readily available and usually very inexpensive. I've put them on the grill, roasted them in the oven, and made bread out of zucchini, but since it's warm out today (finally!), I wanted something fresh and light. I found a recipe on Epicurious that uses summer squash, arugula, fresh lemon juice, and almonds. I had almonds, so I just had to buy some arugula and a lemon.

The squash is shaved using a vegetable peeler, then tossed with the arugula and a simple vinaigrette made up of lemon, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Chopped almonds top the whole thing, and that's it! It's a very easy and fast refreshing way to use summer squash. It would be delicious served with grilled chicken or steak with bread on the side for a nice summer meal.

Summer squash & arugula salad (slightly adapted from Epicurious.com)

3 tablespoons whole almonds

1 pound summer squash (a mix of green and yellow)

2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 minced garlic clove

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Big handful baby arugula

Pecorino or Parmesan cheese (optional)

In a dry saute pan, toast almonds over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Cool and coarsely chop. Trim the ends off summer squash. Using a vegetable peeler, thinly slice the squash lengthwise into strips and transfer to a large bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, minced garlic clove, and kosher salt to taste. If it tastes too acidic, add more salt - that balances out the acidity. If it's still too acidic, add more olive oil. Pour dressing over squash. Let stand for a few minutes, then add a few handfuls of baby arugula. If desired, shave a little Pecorino or Parmesan over the squash and toss. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with the chopped almonds.