Zesty Spring Zucchini Salad with Marinated Feta

We’re cooking from this week’s fruit & veg value bag! This recipe is Zesty Spring Zucchini Salad with Marinated Feta. Take a look at the recipe below if you want to give it a go and be sure to tag us at #FreshCityCooks if you make it at home. We’d love to see your creations.

Ingredients

• 1 cup feta (150 g), cut into small cubes 
• 1 handful of fresh mint
• 1 blood orange
• Crushed chilli flakes (optional)
• Extra virgin olive oil, as needed 
• 1 zucchini
• 1 apple
• Flaky sea salt, to season
• 1/4 cup raw pistachios*
• *substitute with fresh parsley or cilantro *substitute with almonds or pumpkin seeds

The Marinade

1. • Zest the orange
2. • A microplane or the small section of the grater works best
3. • Juice the orange - use a hand juicer or citrus press 
4. • Set zest and juice aside
5. • Add feta cubes to a 12 oz+ sealable jar
6. • Add mint
7. • Add the juice
8. • And 1/2 of the zest
9. • Set the remains zest aside for garnish
10. • Just a pinch of chilli flakes
11. • And just enough oil to cover the feta
12. • Gently pack ingredients down with a wooden spoon until everything has submerged 
13. • Let the marinading feta soak in the fridge for 15 minutes - 24 hours
14. • The longer the soak, the more flavourful the feta will be

Prepare the Salad

1. • Slice the zucchini into thin rounds
2. • Set the zucchini aside
3. • Core and slice the apple into 1 by 1” 1/2” batons
4. • Set the apple aside
5. • Using a fine mesh sieve over a bowl, remove the feta from the marinade
6. • Separate excess herbs from the feta
7. • Pour the extra liquid back into the marinade jar
8. • And set side for drizzling 
9. • Set feta aside for plating

Plate the Salad

1. • Evenly spread the zucchini rounds across the plate
2. • Continue with the apple batons
3. • Crumble the feta over everything
4. • Don’t forget every last bit!
5. • Garnish with a few torn mint leaves
6. • Sprinkle with pistachios
7. • And a drizzle of that reserved marinade
8. • Finish with flaky sea salt and orange zest

Time to enjoy!