Tributerre Inspired Zucchini and Goat Cheese Salad

I got the inspiration for this salad at this cozy little bistro that I sometimes go to with my mom and daughter. The food that they serve is quite healthy and they have a rather wide selection of very interesting and unique pizzas, sandwiches and salads.

They serve a lot of organic food and they have quite a few options that are vegetarian and vegan friendly. Also, they regularly hold special events for which their chef (who happens to have the voice of an angel) will create elaborate menus that are specifically tailored to fit the occasion (although judging by the amount of butter and Parmesan cheese that go in that spinach & ricotta ravioli, I think I’d better stick with the regular menu, however amazingly good this may look!)

Back to the salad… My daughter and I were at the bistro last Friday for “La Fête au Village”, a phenomenal performance by true African artists who danced, sang, played music (A-M-A-Z-I-N-G percussions) and told stories while we were eating and drinking our hearts content.

I chose to have a light grilled vegetable and pesto panino and shared a beautiful warm goat cheese and zucchini salad with my daughter. It was absolutely delicious and I immediately decided that I would try to replicate it at home, while making a few minor modifications. I didn’t wait too long either, for this already happened tonight!

Now my daughter will be soooo jealous when she sees those pictures. She happens to be pretty passionate about zucchinis. And I am extremely sorry to report, my dear sweet daughter, that this salad I just made was heavenly good, even more so than the one we had at the Tributerre the other night! (sorry Davide, yours was really good too, you know!)

It was unbelievably tasty, fresh and light, yet incredibly satisfying and filling, probably because of the chickpeas. This one WILL definitely become a regular for me. I want to eat that again tomorrow, and the day after…

Seriously, if I was served a salad that good at a restaurant, I would kiss thank the chef personally!

Oh, and Tasha, next time you are here, I will make you one, I promise! Or, maybe I could make one when I come visit this week-end?     

Ingredients
(Serves 1)

• 1 zucchini, sliced paper thin, lengthwise
• 10 kalamata olives, roughly chopped
•  ½ cup chickpeas, cooked and cooled (or canned)
• 20g goat cheese, crumbled
• A handful of mesclun
• 1 slice of whole wheat bread, toasted and cut into 5 strips

Dressing

• ½ tsp olive oil
• ½ tsp white wine vinegar
• ½ tsp fleurs d’ail
• ½ tsp capers
• ¼ tsp dried oregano
• 1/8 tsp salt
• Pinch pepper
• Squeeze lemon juice

Instructions

1. Add all the ingredients of the dressing to a medium mixing bowl and whisk with a fork until combined. Add zucchini and stir delicately until all the slices are evenly coated.
2. Lay the mesclun on the perimeter of your serving plate and mound zucchini in the center.
3. Sprinkle chickpeas, kalamata olives and goat cheese crumbles. Place your toast strips around the salad and serve immediately.