Yesterday we had an argument in the middle of the sidewalk, and we had squash salad. The squash salad made some degree of sense. The argument, however, was a chimera, a figment with no fangs. It came like a squall at sea sending the mooring lines whipping in the wind as the rain falls sideways and passed just as quickly. I felt silly gritting my teeth, sweating in the midday sun. I could feel eyes peering out of the coffee house, real or imagined. I turned and walked back to the car, dazed. We sat in the car while I wept a disoriented apology. My carefully lined eyes were mottled black and red. I sniffled and put on my sunglasses. We walked back across the street holding hands & had coffee. In the end, we all speak our very own native tongue. Miscommunication, some garbling of symbols and sounds, is inevitable. We can forgive ourselves and each other for that.
That evening he studied in the office adjacent to the kitchen while I shaved the squash on my mandoline. I pounded chicken breasts thin, roasted kale and dressed it with tahini, feta, miso, and lemon. I coated the chicken with black sesame seeds, stuffed it fat with the kale, browned it, and baked it. I mixed the squash salad gently with my hands. We sat down together and ate. Cooking supper is my love language. It’s universal. No one misunderstands a squash salad.
Summer Squash Salad with Mint, Feta, & Black Truffle Salt
serves 2
Translucent ribbons of yellow summer squash, a handful of fresh mint, heady black truffle salt, thin slivers of shallot, and salty crumbles of feta tossed with a glug of olive oil and white balsamic, this simple salad’s virtue lies in the quality of its ingredients. This salad was inspired by one I had (and helped make…squash slicer extrodinaire!) at
Sunday Suppers with
Nikole Herriott. The combination of squash and mint was inspired. This salad isn’t an exact science, make it to suit your taste.
1 yellow squash (zucchini would work well too), sliced 1/8″ thick
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
1-2 Tbsp fresh mint, roughly chopped
1/4 cup feta
splash of white balsamic vinegar
glug of good extra virgin olive oil
black truffle salt to taste
Toss all the ingredients together in a bowl. Allow to sit for about 10 minutes covered in the fridge for the flavors to meld & serve.
