Chefs' Recipes

Matt Stone's raw zucchini, pine nut and miso salad

A pretty-as-a-picture dish for spring.

By Matt Stone
  • 25 mins preparation
  • 15 mins cooking (plus infusing)
  • Serves 4
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Raw zucchini, pine nut and miso salad
"This is a great summer salad," says Matt Stone. "At home we mostly eat vegan. It's a great way to keep a balanced diet and do our bit for the environment."

Ingredients

  • 40 gm (¼ cup) pepitas
  • 1 zucchini, finely sliced on a mandoline
  • 2 round golden squash, finely sliced on a mandoline
  • 4 baby zucchini with flowers, halved lengthways, stamens removed
  • 3-4 preserved artichokes with stems, halved
  • Calendula or marigold flowers (see note), to serve
  • Sunflower sprouts (see note), to serve
Dressing
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1 small golden shallot, finely diced
  • 1 long green chilli, finely diced
  • ½ preserved lemon, flesh removed, finely diced
  • 1 tbsp chardonnay vinegar
  • 50 ml olive oil
Pine nut miso
  • 100 gm pine nuts
  • 2 tbsp chickpea miso (see note)

Method

  • 1
    For dressing, dry-roast coriander seeds in a frying pan over medium heat until fragrant (1-2 minutes). Lightly crush with a mortar and pestle, then whisk with remaining dressing ingredients and season to taste. Leave to infuse for at least 30 minutes.
  • 2
    Meanwhile, for pine nut miso, preheat oven to 180°C. Roast pine nuts on an oven tray, shaking tray occasionally, until light golden (4-6 minutes). Cool, then grind with a mortar and pestle until smooth. Add miso and grind until smooth, adding warm water, if needed, to make a spreadable paste.
  • 3
    Roast pepitas in a frying pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until puffed and lightly toasted (3-4 minutes).
  • 4
    Spread pine nut miso on serving plates, arrange zucchini, squash, baby zucchini and artichoke, building some height as you arrange. Add flower petals and sprouts. Generously spoon over dressing, season to taste and serve.

Notes

Calendula and marigolds are available from select nurseries. Ensure they are unsprayed. Sunflower sprouts and chickpea miso are available from select health-food stores. If chickpea miso is unavailable, substitute white (shiro) miso.