ZUCCHINI & BORLOTTI BEAN SALAD WITH PRESERVED-LEMON DRESSING
SERVES 4-6 AS PART OF A MEAL / PREPARATION 15 MINUTES / COOKING 15 MINUTES
A major clean out of the pantry led to the discovery in a back corner of six jars of ‘lockdown preserved lemons’ made with lemons from my Meyer tree. Over time they have truly darkened in colour, are super soft and melt into almost any dish I put them into. It seemed obvious to try to use some up in a dressing that veers towards the acidic and it is great in bean-style salads.
This is delicious with grilled fish and a mortar-pounded salmoriglio made with a good handful of fresh oregano, a garlic clove, a pinch of chilli flakes, a squeeze of lemon juice and olive oil to loosen.
¾-1 preserved lemon
1 clove garlic
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 x 400g cans borlotti beans, drained and rinsed 4 zucchini (approx 800g) a good handful herbs – mint, basil, parsley,
chives or dill are all excellent here
For the dressing, rinse the preserved lemon of excess salt and discard the pulp. Put the lemon into a food processor with the garlic and 2 tablespoons water and blitz until you have a fine paste. Whisk in the extra virgin olive oil. Put 3 tablespoons of the dressing in a bowl and add the borlotti beans. Season with some pepper and set aside.
Cut the zucchini into slices. Grill on the oiled hot plate of a barbecue or in a frying pan until golden and tender, approximately 3-4 minutes on each side. Toss with the beans, adding more dressing if necessary. Add the herbs and serve.