A Delicious Middle Eastern Mashed Zucchini Salad

In the spring and early summer, I love eating salads of mixed lettuces and arugula, but once it turns to full summer, I turn to various salads made with vegetables: green beans, beets (a Middle Eastern recipe here), tomatoes (of course!), potatoes (recipes for two potato salads, Italian and Middle Eastern here), carrots, salads of beans with vegetables (a recipe for a salad of black beans and peppers here). A zucchini salad that I enjoy making, because of its wonderfully spicy flavor, is this one from Claudia Roden's The New Book of Middle Eastern Food, a great cookbook. I picked my first zucchini from the garden to today, and in their honor, made this salad for lunch. It's quite simple to prepare: just boil the zucchini, mash it, and add the other ingredients.

Claudia Roden says this serves 4-6, but that's only if you have tiny portions. I think it's good for 2 or 3 servings. Of course it would be easy to double the recipe.

1 lb zucchini
juice of 1/2 lemon, or more
3 Tbs olive oil
1/2 to 1 teas harissa. I don't have this ingredient, so added a bit of cayenne to the salad. You can add it according to your taste.
salt to taste
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/2 teas ground coriander
1/2 teas caraway seeds

• Cut off ends of zucchini and cut into large pieces. Boil in water for 10 or 15 minutes until very soft.
• Drain and mash in a colander so extra water will be pressed out.
• Beat the rest of the ingredients together and mix with zucchini in a bowl. (I just added them directly.)
• Serve cold, and enjoy.