Asparagus and Zucchini Ribbon Salad

Last week I told you about the Mini Spinach and Cheddar Frittatas I made for the peanut's naming.  In addition to an egg dish, I wanted to include a light and summery salad.  I had a hard time thinking of what to do that wouldn't overlap with the veggies already present as a side for the bagels or in the Lentil Salad.  Until, that is, I remembered a recent post in Smitten Kitchen for an asparagus ribbon salad.  I thought this was such a cool idea - just eating raw ribbons of asparagus.  After a little more digging, I found a similar Giada De Laurentiis recipe that combined zucchini ribbons with small asparagus pieces, also in a lemon dressing, and decided to combine the two concepts.  After being told by several people that I was crazy to make a salad for 35 people that required shredding the veggies with a peeler, I bit the bullet and allotted a decent amount of time for prep of this salad the day before the party.  I am happy to report that not only did it take way less time than I expected to make my ribbons, but the ribbons also held up beautifully in zip-top bags in my fridge (without dressing!) overnight.

On the day of the party, this salad just kept disappearing!  Despite some skeptical looks when I told guests the asparagus was raw, overall I got rave reviews, including comments from people who generally don't like asparagus telling me they loved this salad.  My serving bowl wasn't quite big enough for the amount that I prepared, and we had to refill the bowl several times as people came back for seconds...and thirds :).  I hope you'll keep this in mind as a yummy side dish for your family or as a unique dish to serve to company!
 

Asparagus and Zucchini Ribbon Salad
adapted from Food Network and Smitten Kitchen

2 zucchini

1 bunch asparagus

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1-2 ounces Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese

Trim the ends off of the zucchini and then use a vegetable peeler to create long strips.  Next, lay each asparagus spear flat on a cutting board and, holding the woody end, use the vegetable peeler to make long strips from the base to tip (I found this easiest with a "Y" shaped peeler).  Discard the woody ends when you're done.  Use your peeler to create shavings of the cheese as well.

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. 

Create the salad by layering veggies and cheese and gently tossing with some dressing about 1/3 at a time.  Serve immediately or up to 2 hours after dressing.

Do ahead: Prepare the veggie and cheese strips and store in zip-top bags overnight, mixing up the dressing and storing in a separate container.  Toss up to 2 hours before serving and add cheese at the last minute.