Lemon-Dill Zucchini Ribbons Pair Perfectly with a Giant Ribeye

Sometimes we have great big steaks here at Glover Gardens. We use a method that requires 32 minutes at a low temp in the oven followed by a hard sear on a smokin’ hot cast iron skillet for 45 seconds per side. It rocks a Wagyu ribeye, achieving our perfect “rare with a crust” requirement.

This post isn’t about that, though.

It’s about a nice, light side dish to go with a super-heavy main course like a giant ribeye.

That’s where my newest recipe, bright and lemony zucchini ribbons come in. I really should be posting this in the summer when zucchini are more abundant that mosquitos, but hey, it’s almost always summer here in Southeast Texas. It’s 89° today, several weeks into “autumn”.

Back to the zucchini ribbons. This recipe is quick, beautiful and delicious, and could pretty much pair up with any big protein, whether surf or turf. For a vegetarian approach, you could add tofu and make it a main course.

A Winning Combination

I read a bunch of zucchini ribbon recipes yesterday and then created this one of my own, which is a winner! It has cherry tomatoes for color and pop, garlic for that savory punch, lemon zest for, well, zestiness, and dill to balance everything. The genius of this recipe, though, is something I didn’t think of until the last minute. We had a little creme fraiche left over from the Grill-Meister’s avocado toast with smoked salmon (last week’s big win), and I put dollops atop the zucchini after it was cooked, just before serving. Wow! It was a great combination of tastes, textures and colors.

Using Mom’s Mandoline

Another cool thing about this recipe is that it gave me a chance to use the mandoline I inherited from my Mom. I’ve always been a little scared of it because it is SO.VERY.SHARP. and usually let the Grill-Meister be the slicer, but this time, I mastered it. Woohoo! Check out this cool tool in the post below.

Recipe: Lemon-Dill Zucchini Ribbons

Ingredients

• 2 small-to-medium zucchini
• 2 tbsp butter
• zest of one large lemon (about 2-3 tsp.)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 8-10 red cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered longways
• 1 tsp. fresh dill, plus more for garnish (can use other herbs, like oregano, mint, parsley, tarragon, cilantro)
• 1/3 cup creme fraiche (sour cream or plain Greek yogurt can be substituted)
• 2 tbsp sliced green onions for garnish (optional)
• salt and freshly ground pepper (I used habanero salt for a little kick)

Cooking Instructions

Using a mandoline, slice the zucchini in thin ribbons, lengthwise. You can also use a vegetable peeler. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium high heat, then add the minced garlic, tomatoes, dill, salt and freshly ground pepper. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, then turn off the heat and cover until you are ready to serve. Just before serving, scatter spoonfuls of creme fraiche atop the zucchini, and garnish with green onions and additional dill.

Join Me in the Kitchen

Let me know if you make this marvelous dish, and what you serve it with.

© 2020, Glover Gardens