Last summer, in my final leg of culinary school I staged (a fancy term for interned) at the Kitchen in Boulder. Drawn by the restaurant’s mantra of sourcing locally grown products and celebrating community through food, I was excited to learn the secrets behind many of my favorite dishes.

One such dish was the restaurant’s zucchini salad. The combination caught my attention for its bright summery flavor, unexpected use of the vegetable (raw!), and ease of preparation. Chef Dennis Phelps shares the recipe (below) and encourages home cooks to season and dress the zucchini to taste, while still allowing the natural sweetness of the summer squash to come through.

Sourcing Details: The Kitchen gets its zucchini and summer squash from Monroe Organic Farms. You can purchase the goods at the farms’ stand at Boulder’s farmers’ market. Full Circle Organic Farms also grows zucchini and summer squash that can be found at City Park Esplande, Stapleton, Cherry Creek and Boulder’s green markets.

Share: Share your recipe feedback in the comments section or link to other favorite zucchini recipes. Upload images of your creations to Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest with the hashtag #5280eats and #farmersmarket; we’ll do the same. Each week, we’ll post the best photo on 5280.com along with other recipes spotlighting the season’s freshest produce at 5280.com/freshpicks.

Bonus: The dish is available at both the Kitchen Denver and the Kitchen Boulder while the season lasts. For more recipes, check out our Pinterest board labeled Fresh Picks or review last week’s Fresh Picks’ carrot recipe.

Stay Tuned: Next week’s Fresh Picks will highlight peaches with a recipe from Bittersweet’s pastry chef Kris Padalino.

Zucchini and Chèvre Salad

Serves 4–6

1 pound firm zucchini or yellow summer squash

6 ounces chèvre (goat cheese)

Handful fresh mint, roughly chopped

Handful almonds, toasted and crushed

Fresh lemon juice, to taste

Extra virgin olive oil, to taste

Salt and pepper, to taste

Use a mandoline to slice zucchini and summer squash into thin ribbons; place in a large mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper; add lemon juice and olive oil to taste. Add chopped mint and toasted almonds. Portion out on salad plates; top with crumbled chèvre, and serve.

Tweet, pin, or Instagram your favorite zucchini recipes with #5280Eats and #farmersmarket