Why This Recipe Works

At the peak of summer, when we find zucchini overrunning our backyard gardens and farmers' markets, we like to swap them for cucumbers in this twist on the classic chopped Greek salad known as horiatiki, or “village salad.” Smaller (no larger than 8-ounce) zucchini tend to be sweeter and more tender than larger zucchini, which made them appealing in this raw application. Cutting the zucchini into ribbons accentuated the zucchini's best qualities and made for an elegant presentation, especially when tossed with cherry tomatoes, feta, olives, pepperoncini, scallions, a generous handful of fresh herbs, and a punchy lemon-garlic dressing.

Before You Begin

Be sure to find zucchini that weigh about 8 ounces each; larger zucchini are more difficult to cut into even ribbons because their seeds can be large and coarse, and their flavor can be bitter when eaten raw. You can substitute an equal weight of crumbled feta for the block feta.

Instructions

Whisk oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper together in large bowl. Add zucchini, tomatoes, feta, olives, pepperoncini, parsley, dill, and scallions and toss until evenly combined. Arrange zucchini mixture on platter. Serve.