Grilled Zucchini Salad

Zucchini becomes a whole new vegetable when flame licked. As for peppadew peppers, their perky name says it all: these vibrant peppers add an irresistible sweet-fiery pep to dishes. Native to South Africa, these up-and-coming fruits can be found in the deli section of most grocers.

To make this salad even more fetching, try using multicoloured cherry tomatoes. A vegetable grill basket is a handy way to grill up a bunch of vegetables at once without the worry of losing any to the fire below.

3 medium zucchinis
1 cup (250 mL) peppadew peppers
1 tsp (5 mL) + 2 Tbsp (30 mL) olive oil or camelina oil, divided
2 cups (500 mL) halved cherry tomatoes
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp (10 mL) fresh thyme
1/4 tsp (1 mL) black pepper
2 oz (56 g) feta cheese, chopped
2 Tbsp (30 mL) chopped chives

Preheat grill to medium. Slice zucchini into 1/2 in (1.25 cm) rounds. Toss zucchini and peppadew peppers with 1 tsp (5 mL) oil. Place zucchini and peppers on grill; heat until tender and some char marks appear. Peppadew peppers will likely be finished before zucchini, so remove from grill as needed. When cool enough to handle, slice peppers in half.

In large bowl, toss together zucchini, peppadew peppers, and tomatoes. In small bowl, whisk together remaining oil, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, and black pepper. Add dressing to vegetables and toss to coat. Serve garnished with feta cheese and chives.

Serves 4.

Each serving contains: 157 calories; 5 g protein; 11 g total fat (3 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 11 g total carbohydrates (8 g sugars, 3 g fibre); 176 mg sodium

source: "Squash It!", alive #383, September 2014