Zucchini Salad

Late last year I was given a copy of the De Bortoli Wines 2015 Food and Wine Calendar. It is a lovely calendar with each month showcasing a particular wine from their range and a recipe to match it. There is also a little paragraph about the history of the recipe from the De Bortoli family and why the particular wine was made in the style it was.

Given how lovely the recipes are, I have decided that each month I'm going to make the dish and blog about it. I won't always necessarily match it to the wine, as some are not so readily available in bottle shops.

The recipe for January is a lovely fresh zucchini salad, perfect in the hot Melbourne weather that we're having at the moment. This salad is in memory of Vittorio De Bortoli and his young wife, Giuseppina, who were married in 1928. They had a collection of fruit trees, vegetables and grape vines and cooked with what was available in the garden at the time. With zucchini in season during summer, I'm sure this salad was a regular feature on their table.

Zucchini Salad

3 small zucchini, cut lengthwise into thin ribbons (I used a vegetable peeler)

2 Tbs white wine vinegar

2 Tbs olive oil

1 Tbs Dijon mustard

1 clove of garlic, crushed

1 Tbs tarragon, chopped

1/2 a small red capsicum, thinly sliced

150g semi dried tomatoes, thickly sliced

A few olives to garnish, thickly sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

Place the zucchini ribbons in a colander and toss with plenty of salt. Leave to sit for 20 minutes, then rinse well and pat dry with paper towel.

Combine vinegar, oil, mustard, garlic and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl.

Place zucchini, tarragon, and capsicum in a bowl and toss with the dressing. Allow to sit for 1 hour for the flavours to infuse.

To serve, toss the tomatoes through the salad and garnish with the chopped olives.

Enjoy!

And To Drink....

The wine matched to this salad is the De Bortoli La Bossa Sauvignon Blanc. Bossa is the nickname that was given to Giuseppina by her husband and childhood sweetheart. This range of wines also includes a Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Merlot, Shiraz Cabernet Merlot and Pink Moscato. For approximately $10 a bottle, these wines are great value quaffers. The grapes for the Sauvignon Blanc are sourced from the Riverina and King Valley.

The Sauvignon Blanc is beautiful and aromatic, with green apple and passionfruit on the nose. It's not quite as full on as a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, but still very fruity. There is a nice acidity, which helps to balance the wine, and a touch of sweetness. It was deliciously moreish!

The wine was a perfect match with the salad and a great choice to have on a hot night when you need something refreshing. The sweetness of the red capsicum and semi dried tomato, the saltiness of the olives and the acidity in the dressing made lovely friends. Certainly a wine to enjoy when you want something light, fruity and delicious!

After the success of January's food and wine match, I can't wait for the rest of 2015!