Tis the Season for...Zucchini!

Yesterday I did my bi-weekly grocery shopping at the farmer's market. (In case any locals haven't heard, it's pretty awesome. Every Saturday from 9-2pm at Pioneer Park in Provo. Tons of vendors!) It's granola-y to say this, but I really do love talking to the growers and asking about where the food is from and how it's grown etc. Plus, REAL food is sold there. No two cucumbers look the same. Peaches are bumpy and apples have knots and dents in them. Carrots are short and fat with the stringy root still attached. Heirloom tomatoes come in every shape and color from purple to yellow to red to orange. It's the complete opposite of shopping in the produce section where everything looks identical.

Upon my stroll through the farming vendors, I came across a zucchini that I just could not pass up.

For $1 I bought that massive squash that will feed Michael and I for the next two days. I went to work this morning on making one of my favorite raw meals: Rawtsa! aka Pasta! I don't have a spiralizer yet (it's on my wish list) but I do have a mandolin slicer  so I sliced up the zucchini into thin but wide shaped "noodles." Pasta sauce is so easy and quick to make, and you can easily experiment with the portions of  ingredients without going wrong. I used:

leftover zucchini slives

3-4 small cloves of garlic

salt (to taste)

splash of lemon juice

3 handfulls of cherry tomatoes

1 handfull of fresh basil

2-3 dates

I've made pasta sauce quite a few times, and every time dates really make the difference. (You could substitute agave if you wanted). The sweet counteracts the salty and really compliments the flavor. You could also add onion, pepper, celery, cucumber, shallots, spices, whatever you want! Olive oil is optional; I personally prefer it without. You really can't go wrong though with all fresh ingredients. I love knowing exactly what is in my meal!

Pumpkin seeds goes nicely with this meal and they add a nice chewy texture. I also put pea sprouts on mine to add flavor and texture. The thinly sliced zucchini picks up whatever flavor is around it, making it perfect for this dish. Also, the slimey-ness makes it feel just like pasta...minus the bloat. Zucchini is in season now, so it's easy to find and cheap to buy, but I probably won't be making this dish  again for a little while. We don't want to get sick of it! An alternative is to take the sauce and pour it over the zucchini slices, dehydrate it, and it makes the perfect chip. Any other ideas for using this awesome vegetable???