If you haven’t noticed, I love food presentation. I think presentation really appeals to our senses, it’s what makes us want to try a new recipe. Unless you’re walking into someone’s house while dinner is being prepared, those of us sitting in front of our computer screens obviously miss out on the pleasure of scent, so the photos are even more important. Sometime I browse Pinterest for recipe inspiration, and while some of those photos make the food look divine, part of my repertoire is to make sure the ingredients I’m using are healthful, plant-based, and easy to find. Why? Well, this epidemic of chronic disease is sweeping our country, and the bottom line is, we can stop it, but we have to start now. Stop pinning the junk food and start pinning the healthy food! I think over the past few decades, the focus has been more on finding recipes that are quick and easy for a busy family. Is being busy more important than your health and the health of your children or is that contributing to the problem? The increase in obesity among children and adolescents is one of the major public health challenges of our generation. In fact, the rate of childhood obesity in the United States has more than doubled over the past two decades. Quick isn’t really an issue when you move toward celebrating whole foods instead of obsessing over fat, sugar, and salt. This recipe actually happens to be quick, whole, and lovely to look at too. Serve it as a side with dinner or as a quick lunch for one or two.
Ingredients
1-2 summer tomatoes (try to find those beautiful heirlooms!)
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 sprig of basil, finely chopped
salt + pepper
1 medium zucchini
Slice tomatoes and combine with balsamic vinegar, basil, salt and pepper. Toss lightly and set aside. Using a julienne peeler or mandoline, slice the zucchini into long strands. I boil it for just a moment to take the raw edge off. You can serve it raw or boil it for a minute or two. Add a sprinkle of salt and serve.