Swap leafy greens with versatile zucchini to enliven your ‘salad days’

In Shakespeare’s play “Antony and Cleopatra,” Cleopatra laments on her “salad days, when I was green in judgment, cold in blood …” as she reflects on her past relationship with Julius Caesar. When I think of salad days lately, I’m not reflecting on the carefree, youthful era of my life, but on the hot, oppressive, energy-stealing Mid-South summer days we have been having, when eating a heavy meal only adds to that lethargic, slow feeling we are already experiencing from this tropical-style weather. Light, flavorful foods are a much better option right now, both to satisfy our hunger and to keep us feeling more comfortable in this heat.

Many of us eat salads often, as they are healthy and go well with almost any entrée. Most everyday salads are based on some type of lettuce or other leafy green vegetable. This type of salad is popular and easy to make or buy, but it’s nice to have a change of pace sometimes, so when you are looking for another salad idea, think about making one from thin slices of zucchini.

Besides being a mild and versatile vegetable, zucchini is also nutritious. A half-cup of raw zucchini contains less than 20 calories, while contributing 30 percent of the recommended daily amount of vitamin C, and 13 percent of vitamin B6. It also contains a smattering of most other B vitamins, plus important trace minerals like iron and manganese. Like all fruits and vegetables, zucchini has important antioxidants that help fight aging and chronic disease.

While the vitamin content of this popular vegetable has been known for years, more recently researchers have found zucchini has a high amount of pectin, which has been shown to help regulate insulin and possibly protect against diabetes. Fortunately, the peel of zucchini is quite tender and easy to eat, so it’s commonly not removed when preparing a dish.

Good-quality zucchini is now in season. Choose ones that are heavy for their size with shiny, unblemished skin. It’s best to buy average-size zucchini. The large ones may be tougher, more fibrous, and less flavorful.

Today’s zucchini salad calls for using a vegetable peeler to scrape down the sides of each zucchini, to make thin, wide ribbons. These are tossed with a lemony-olive oil dressing, then finished with basil, pine nuts and Parmesan. If you don’t have pine nuts, which are fairly expensive, use sliced almonds instead. They are just as good. Don’t skip the Parmesan, though, as it really makes this salad.

This dish is so easy, but it’s elegant and light and refreshing. It really is perfect for these sultry late summer days and nights.