I’ve been a pretty serious fan of the Golubka blog for a while. Their raw food creations always hit me with an immediate appeal to taste, and then slowly as I read, they would surprise me with their intricacy. Their style of cuisine spoke to me and they managed to make it look so completely gorgeous as well.
So when they sent me their book and I saw that it was a fully realized, but also expanded-upon, version of the creative work that they share on the site, I was immediately inspired. When a book or an entity of any kind makes your mind tick with possibility–for your health, your family table and your whole life–it’s a good one. Also, there’s a lot to be said about a cookbook that can convey a sense of time and place in the world–a trait I find most appealing in any food related publication actually.
Almost all of the recipes are vegan and a nice selection of them are raw–all gluten free and seasonal in theme as well. When the really balmy hot days start to take over here, this is the kind of inspiration I crave most. Abundant, colourful, and satisfying for these days that we spend predominantly outdoors
I was debating between making this zucchini spaghetti dish or the berry and chocolate crisp for today. Mark really wanted the dessert, but I wanted a light summer dinner on our porch at dusk. (I’m confident that the crisp will be happening next week, what with the impending glut of berries coming on). I use a julienne peeler for this, but a spiralizer would be awesome too for making the delicious vegetable “spaghetti.” This will be the first of many from Anya’s table to ours.
Hope you’re enjoying that sunshine, and maybe a few magical summer storms too :)
Zucchini Spaghetti with Pumpkin Seed Pesto & Peaches
Ingredients
Pesto
- 1 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
- 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- splash of water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, peeled & crushed
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Zucchini Spaghetti & Assembly
- 4-5 medium zucchini
- 2 peaches
- handful of chopped basil
Equipment
Notes
- I toasted the pumpkin seeds with a bit of salt before grinding them into the pesto, but if you prefer to keep this raw, just skip that step.
- I use a julienne peeler for the zucchini, but if you have a spiralizer, you can probably get away with 3 zucchinis since it better utilizes the seedier inner part of the vegetable.
Instructions
- Place the toasted pumpkin seeds in the bowl of a food processor with the “S” bade in place. Pulse the seeds until they are the texture of coarse breadcrumbs. From here, add the basil, olive oil, water, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Turn the food processor onto high until you have a smooth paste. Set the pesto aside.
- With a julienne peeler, make long lengthwise strands of zucchini, avoiding peeling the centers if they’re a bit seedy. Place zucchini “spaghetti” in a large bowl and toss with a heavy pinch of salt. Let the zucchini sit for about 5 minutes so that the salt can soften the noodles ever so slightly. Pit and slice your peaches while you wait.
- Toss the zucchini spaghetti with most of the pesto until strands are evenly coated. Arrange the peaches on top and tear pieces of basil to finish it off. Garnish with some extra bits of pesto if you like. Serve immediately.
My favorite summer fruit and vegetable – I really can’t pick just one, but I love zucchini and I love berries! I love any and all grilled vegetables – and I’ve been seeing a lot of people grilling fruit lately, which I really want to try. Mmmm!!
xo
maria
The best way to consume summer fruit is a watermelon soaked in basil gin and bitters, eaten with a spoon straight out of the shell. You’re welcome.
My favorite summer vegetable is zucchini, and although I love it fried, my go-to much healthier way of preparing it is to dip in flour, then almond milk, then seasoned bread crumbs, bake, and serve with a vegan aioli.
And this summer I plan to take a series of relaxing weekend trips with the hubby, almost all involving a cabin/B&B and a Major League baseball game!
Figs my favorite part of summer. Although they’re delicious raw, if I’m feeling fancy I cut them halfway down in quarters so they fan out like flowers. Then I add on a little fresh goat cheese, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and honey or maple syrup (with a dash of salt and pepper). Grilling these confections under the broiler until the goat cheese starts to melt and the sugars caramelize makes an incredible starter.
This weekend I can’t wait to go kayaking and canoeing with friends. We’ll slither through passages to a few different lakes and then it’s picnic time!
Oh my gosh, that dish is so beautiful! During the summer, all I want to eat is watermelon. It is just so good.
I plan on going to the beach at least once, and I like to enjoy lots of berries this time of year. Straight up berries in a bowl, nothing fancy.
Favourite seasonal vegetable: zucchini. I have many plans for the kilograms I will eat, cook, and (fresh)freeze for winter. My favourite seasonal way to eat it is to make raw zucchini sticks and drizzle with tahini and Sriracha. Bliss.
Recently discovered your blog when my SIL made the roasted carrots on a bed of spiced yogurt (except she had to grill them because her oven doesn’t work in the house they just bought. Still she had the grace and generosity to make some astounding meals over last weekend–food = love.)
This summer, I really want to learn to do some food fermenting. I’ve had some amazing slaws and pickles over the past couple of growing seasons and everyone in my family loves this.
Thanks,
Christy
I love seeing the grass in your pictures. It makes me feel like I’m sitting with you on your porch and enjoying that beautiful dish. My favourite summer fruit of all time after cherries and peaches are figs. I spent so many blissful summers at my grandmothers picking them directly from her tree and marvelling in their honey-like sweetness.A ripe fig is incomparable!As far as summer is concerned, staying outdoors as much as possible and sipping on anything refreshing is essential!
This looks incredible! :)
This summer, we really want to stain/refinish the deck and eat lots of summer cherries – I usually just eat them as-is. One of my all time favorite things about summer! :)
What I’m looking forward to most this summer is all happening in August- our family beach trip and a large group camping trip by the river with friends for my 40th birthday!
Also, I’ve been obsessed with tomato, cuke, and feta dressed with EVOO, balsamic and salt & pepper. I eat it almost every day!
These photos are absolutely, completely, amaaaaazing. I cannot wait for Colorado peaches to be fully in season. They are my absolute favorite and usually just get eaten over the sink. :) Bucket list: gotta get out for some camping this summer!
Sigh…summmmmmmmmerrrrrrr. On my summer to-do list: picnic and lazy afternoon in central park and a day at Coney Island. Also: making our way to Red Hook to enjoy the libations at Fort Defiance. And I’m feeling you on open tomato sandwiches…with a somewhat heavy-handed sprinkle of flaky sea salt. x
My favorite summer fruit it’s strawberries! I love them any way I can get them…salads, smoothies, in desserts, or by themselves.
My #1 thing to check off of my summer bucketlist (which is revamped every year) is to learn how to can! I would like to can homemade marinara sauce, jams, etc. for the cold months to come.
My favorite summer fruit are peaches! I love the super sweet, oozing with juicy goodness with each bite. My mouth is watering! I love the looks of that cookbook and I’d love to get my hands on it.
I would LOVE a copy of The Vibrant Table!
1) I can’t wait to have a picnic in the park, get cinnamon buns at the bakery at my cottage, and hopefully catch a movie at the drive-in
2) Right now I’m really feeling peaches. Particularly grilled peaches drilled with maple syrup over vanilla yogurt.
Looks wonderful – I’m definitely interested in this cookbook! To answer your questions: 1) My goal is to grill ALL of the fruits/veggies this year. There are certain veggies/fruits that I tend to ear raw or cook on the stove (shelling peas, raspberries), but I’d like to develop some grilling techniques for them instead. 2) My favorite summer food? A tie between a good tomato/corn salad (corn, tomatoes, avo, herbs) and eating golden raspberries straight out of hand.
Looks lovely! There is nothing better than a fresh tomato from the vine, chopped up with salt and pepper- preferably eaten on my parent’s back deck, watching the sun rise up to mid morning.
FAVE SUMMER JAM:
Nothing in this whole wide world beats a ripe, fresh picked southern peach – close second to immediate devouring is old fashioned peach shortcake with basil garnish. Summer in a dish!
What a gorgeous post and recipe. I too am in love with Anya’s work and with The Vibrant Table, a cookbook full of inspiration. Haven’t made this zucchini spaghetti yet but am so so eager to try!
That book, swoon! Ok here are mine!
1. Stand up paddleboarding, looks hard as shit, but I want to try it!
2. Watermelon..alll the watermelon!
I am looking forward to trying stand up paddle boarding for the first time ever! Beyond excited for that adventure.
I’m constantly gravitating toward homemade iced tea. It’s simple, but I love to use genmaicha and a bit of stevia. Earthy, slightly sweet, and ice cold for the heat!
The way you said this is just right, about Anya’s book being a fully realized version of her blog, about how mutual admiration is surprising (especially with someone like this), about light foods being so welcome this time of year. Also, Laura, I will probably be saying this to you til kingdom come — YOUR PHOTOS. So good.
Such a gorgeous dish full of colors! This is the perfect summer meal!
For sure my favorite summer meal is caprese salad with fresh picked tomatoes from the garden. I wait all year, skipping over the store bought tomatoes, waiting waiting for my own to finally ripen then I eat caprese salad over and over until they are all gone. Reminds me of summer and Italy all in one.
I love how beautiful this dish looks. So vibrant and refreshing.
1. Go camping and hike some nice trails.
2. Fruit tarts! Or any baked dessert with stone fruit toppings.
My favorites are sugar peas, love eating them straight out of the pod on the field.
Will have a little get-together for our 1st wedding anniversary with all of our guests from last year, best food and music :)
I am finally going to visit the Outer Banks and see a lighthouse!
Can’t wait to try this recipe!
This summer, I’m gutting and re-doing my guest bath. I know, sounds like a blast, right? Oh yeah, and I’m scraping, sanding, and painting my wrap-around porch!
My favourite summer food is strawberries. To be honest I love them warm right off the bush while picking them! I also love them in cupcakes and sprinkled on my morning cereal.
We are planning a trip to our local sandbar this weekend. It will be my sons first boat trip and first time in a lake!
i love allll the fresh fruit! especially blueberries and peaches!
Tomato – still warm from the garden, eaten like an apple :)
Summer! Seriously, I just want to find the time to sit in the backyard sunshine and read a good book. It hasn’t happened yet…but I’ll make sure it does!
Favorit summery food: peaches
Favorite way to eat peaches you ask? In a cobbler with some ice cream wrapped up on the couch with my fiancé OR simply sliced open fresh in the morning with a bowl of oats and a cup of coffee.
It’s hard to pick favorites when it comes to summer fruits and vegetables, but wild blackberries are up there in my top 10, for sure. Preferably eaten in a warm cobbler with unsweetened whipped cream :)
I plan to cross zip lining and attending the beach fest off my list this summer!
This is gorgeous! I love the way it looks with the grass all around it…like we’re on a picnic with you :) Great recipe!
I love cherries in the summer! I really just love to eat them as is – such a great treat.
Love this! Although very new to me, I too am a fan of the Golubka blog!
This summer I also hope to make a picnic on the beach, and prepare an entire meal using the heat and flame of an outdoor fire. My favourite summer fruit is the tomato –> and I love a quick panzanella style salad. I am also obsessed with Ontario peaches –> grilled and drizzles with honey over some yogurt and granola –> the best day to welcome another sunny summer day.
Cheers!
This meal looks delicious! Raw and fresh is definitely appealing in the warmth of the summer. This summer I plan to have my breakfast at the top of one of my favourite local hikes (Signal Hill, St. John’s, NL), perched on the mountain overlooking the Atlantic ocean in those early morning dawn hours when it’s often just you and the birds awake. As for summer fruit, I am in love with fresh figs. And biting into a juicy fig just as it is is my favourite way to enjoy it!
Favorite summer food: Blueberries, straight up. Actually, they are my favorite food – period!
I love all things summer: berries, cherries, lettuces, corn, peaches. Figs! But year round, I long for juicy, ripe Jersey tomatoes! Served simply, sliced, drizzled with good olive oil, and sprinkled with sea salt. Mmmmmmm.
lately it’s been cucumber and radish for me
Just stunning! My favorite is cucumbers – I’ll eat them plain like an apple, or in a cucumber salad :)
My favorite is rhubarb! As Summer approaches, I can’t wait to get my hands on it to make rhubarb pie, rhubarb tea, rhubarb compote! My absolute favorite is your rhubarb fool and coconut cream. It is, without a doubt, one of my all time favorite desserts!
Right now I’m loving corn and cherries! Corn grilled and sliced off the cobb into chipotle-spiced salads; cherries on top of my morning granola.
What a beautifully simple but healthy looking dish. I will have to bookmark this one for summer when it comes along.