73. Chinese Courgette salad recipe

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Chinese courgette salad

Verona

I think it was only since I came to Europe that I learned how to appreciate history -- the history written on the surfaces of ancient roads, hundreds years old buildings, and thousands years old, yet still functioning theaters...

It is true China has over five thousands years history, but nowadays, modern sky scrapers have become the signature of our modern society; rapid change is taking place in every corner of every city; history only prevails protected behind the museums’ walls.

So, here, in Italy, seeing all those ancient buildings still in use, the uneven surface of the roads still serving its purpose after hundreds of years, I feel that the word ‘old’ cannot describe what I am seeing; ‘beautiful’, ‘surreal’ are probably more appropriate.

I feel even a bit jealous of the local people, when they go to the theater, which was original built over 2000 years ago, and still functions now, they become the part of the ‘on-going’ history...


Summer continues...I think the sun gives additional charms to this city -- it enhances the fading colour on the walls of the buildings, and the shadows make the ‘already’ narrow and rich structured streets have even more layers, even more beautiful...

I am lost, definitely lost, lost in the time and location...

Another salad / liangcai recipe for a sunny day -- courgette with garlic. As I mentioned before, it is difficult to translate courgette in Chinese, as we don’t have the exactly same thing in northern China.

The Chinese analogue to courgette is much bigger -- just imagine courgette in 5 times bigger size. :)) So I am not sure if the recipe will be quite right; but I will give it a try anyway. It turned out good -- well, but you have to love garlic. :))

This courgette salad/liangcai recipe is super easy to make, I am a bit shy to call it a recipe; it is rather a ‘dish suggestion’. Here you go.

Ingredients:

Courgette (I used 3 average size courgette)

Garlic, soy sauce, salt, sesame oil, rice vinegar

Cooking:

1) Peel and chop the courgette into smaller pieces.

2) Boil chopped courgette in water. (It is probably better to boil the water first, then leave the courgette in.)

3) After boiling, take the courgette pieces out, and rinse in the cold water.

4) Chop around 4 gloves garlic.

5) Mix chopped garlic with courgette, and add in 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 1/2 tablespoon of light soy sauce, 2 teaspoon of rice vinegar, and a few drops of sesame oil. ---

Courgette salad

--- Done!! It is good to leave it for a while before serving.

It is definitely a very healthy dish, and fresh for summer. I like to have it with plain boiled rice, simple noodles. It also goes well with beer. :))