Steemit Iron Chef 2017 #04: Vertical Courgette Salad with Arugula Vinaigrette, Courgette Crackers and Courgette Blossoms

Courgette Salad with Arugula Vinaigrette, Courgette Crackers

and Courgette Blossoms

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That's a lot of courgette! Also known as zucchini, courgette is the theme for Week #04 of Steemit Iron Chef 2017. I chose to make a salad with an arugula vinaigrette dressing. It is served with courgette crackers and a chiffonade of courgette blossoms.

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It starts with the arugula dressing ...

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Followed by the courgette crackers ...

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Ready for dehydration ...

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Slice after 2 hours of dehydration. Dehydrate for another 12 hours or until dry.

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The salad is topped with courgette blossoms.

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The slicing technique called chiffonade works perfectly well for garnishing the salad.

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The salad can be served with the courgette top.

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Or without ...

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I forgot to take a photo with my name and the date so I had to re-plate!

My entry for Week #04 of Steemit Iron Chef ...

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Thanks again to @progressivechef, all the sponsors and all the other contestants and viewers of this wonderful culinary challenge!

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Courgette Salad with Arugula Vinaigrette, Courgette Crackers and Courgette Blossoms

Ingredients

Courgette Salad with Arugula Dressing

6 - 8 courgettes
1/4 cup hazelnuts, chopped

Arugula Dressing

1/2 cup arugula, packed
1/2 extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sugar, optional

Courgette Crackers

3/4 pounds courgette
1 1/2 cups almond flour or almond meal
1 cup walnuts
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup water

Courgette Blossoms Garnish

2 pieces courgette blossoms

Directions

For the courgette salad:

Slice courgette into 1/8-inch discs. Set aside.

Prepare an ice bath. Set aside.

Blanch arugula in hot water for 1 minute. Drain then put arugula in ice bath. Leave for a few minutes to cool. Drain well.

In a blender, combine arugula and the rest of the ingredients. Drain (optional) and set aside.

For the courgette crackers (Make at least a day in advance):

Put walnuts in food processor. Process until walnuts are chopped into fine pieces. Transfer to a bowl.

Slice courgette into 1-inch chunks. Put in food processor and chop into very small pieces.

Combine courgette and the remaining ingredients with the walnuts. Mixture should be spreadable. If too dry, add water 1/2 teaspoon at a time.

Spread on a dehydrator sheet or on a sheet pan.

Dehydrate in dehydrator or in an oven at 140oF or at the lowest temperature. After 2 hours, take the sheet pan out of the dehydrator/oven and slice cracker dough into desired shape. Continue dehydrating for another 10 - 14 hours or until dry.

For the courgette blossoms chiffonade:

Slice courgette blossoms thinly.

Assembly

Dip a courgette disc in the salad dressing. Lay on serving dish. Sprinkle with a pinch of chopped hazelnuts. Repeat the process until you reach the desired height. I prefer staggering the discs rather than lining them up nicely.

Drizzle more dressing if desired.

Serve with a slice or two of the courgette crackers and garnish with courgette blossoms chiffonade and leftover chopped hazelnuts.

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Happy cooking and eating!

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