Zucchini pesto noodles

by Gretchen
(Fairfax, CA)

Ingredients (dinner for two people who can eat a large amount):

zucchini (approx 4 pounds, select small to medium size so they will be tender)

basil (one bunch)

lemon (1-2, depending on size and how juicy they are)

walnuts, pine nuts or hemp seeds (approx 1 ounce total)

cucumber (2-3 small)

Baby spinach or other salad greens, enough to line two large salad bowls

Peel the zucchini and spiralize the peeled squashes into a large bowl. Reserve all the bits that don't end up as noodles. Zest and then juice the lemons. In a high-powered blender (like a Vitamix or Blentec) blend up the zucchini peels and parts that didn't end up as noodles along with the basil leaves, lemon juice and zest, nuts or seeds and cucumbers to make the pesto sauce. You can add some of the noodles if it needs more body, or extra cucumber or even a little water if it's too thick to blend easily. Fold the pesto sauce into the noodles and toss to coat well. Place the greens into the salad
bowls and top each with half of the zucchini pesto noodles.

If you like raw garlic or onions, feel free to add those. You can take one clove of raw garlic and rub it over the surface of the bowl that you are going to use to hold the spiralized noodles and mix with the sauce, and this way get a mild garlic flavor without being
overwhelmed.