Tuscan Zucchini Salad

Here's how to deal with your zucchini blessings when your neighbors don't answer their doorbells anymore!

Ingredients:

3 medium sized green zucchini, diced

3 medium sized yellow zucchini, diced

One 8 oz. ball fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed

1 basket or little net bag of small cherry tomatoes, halved

3 slices of a large red onion, diced

1 can medium or large sized pitted black olives, halved lengthwise

small amount of chopped basil (1T.)or 1 cube frozen chopped basil from Trader Joe's

Approximately 1/2 bottle of Safeway's O Brand Tuscan Italian salad dressing (or your own Italian dressing)

1) Begin by dicing the zucchini and when you have enough to cover the bottom of the bowl, drizzle a little of the salad dressing over and toss to marinate.

2) Keep dicing zucchini and add the rest of the ingredients, tossing and adding more dressing as you go.

3) Once you have everything all tossed together, make sure you have enough dressing included to coat all the ingredients but not too sloppy. I always refrigerate for an hour at least to let the flavours blend.

Notes:

• You could use processed mozzarella cheese but the fresh is better.
• This recipe makes enough to fill the largest bowl (yellow) of my Pyrex mixing bowl set.
• Yes, that IS a Princess House Crystal pedestal bowl; makes for pretty presentation, no?
• You could use all green zucchini but the mixture makes for a colorful salad.
• You can add some protein for a whole-meal salad. i.e. chicken chunks, turkey, even tuna!

Num Num!