Courgette, Petits Pois and Goat’s Cheese Salad

With  summer approaching I always find myself eating more vegetables and salads.

I love cooking with courgettes even though they are seen as the poor cousin in the vegetable world and are considered bland. It is exactly their subtle taste that makes them versatile, adapting to flavors and mixing with textures.

Courgettes contain a lot of water and are best sautéed in a large pan to allow the water to evaporate and avoid a mushy overcooked look.On the other hand fennel is tougher and requires more cooking time.

Pink peppers are somewhat zesty with a mildly floral and fruity sweet taste, which contrasts with the chili pepper touch.  Their skin is thin and are best crushed with your fingers.

• 1 shallot
• 3 courgettes,(zucchini)
• 1 fennel bulb
• 100 g/ 1/2 cup petits pois
• 1 red chilli pepper
• 1 fresh goat cheese
• 2 to 3  sprigs of dill, finely chopped
• 2 to 3 sprigs of fresh mint, sizzled
• 125 ml/ 3 fl oz olive oil
• 75 ml/ 4 fl oz lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon pink pepper berries

Method

1. Finely chop the shallot.
2. Dice the courgettes and the fennel bulb.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan.
4. Sauté the shallots with 1/4 teaspoon of salt on medium to low heat until soft. add the chopped chili and cook for another minutes.
5. Add the fennel, stir to coat with oil and cook for 3 minutes. If the mixture dries out, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water and continue cooking until the fennel begins to soften.
6. Incorporate the courgettes, and cook over low to medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. When the courgettes (zucchini) are just tender, add the petits pois and cook for another 2 minutes.
8. In the meantime, place olive oil, lemon, honey, 1/2 teaspoon salt in a jar; close the lid, and shake to mix the dressing.
9. Season with salt to taste, and the crushed pink peppers. Mix in half the chopped herbs and toss with the lemon dressing.
10. Transfer to serving dish and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
11. Break the goat’s cheese with a fork, and scatter the pieces on top of the vegetables.
12. Garnish with the remaining herbs and serve warm.