A blue ribbon winner.

(Another farm box item, made with local summer squash and zucchini from Charlottesville, VA.)

When my friend Amanda and I threw a dinner party, one of the dishes was sautéed veggie ribbons with fettuccine and herbs. The other evening I was looking for something light and tasty to make out of my farm box, and I was inspired to jazz up my classic chicken noodle soup (with simple celery and carrots).

This recipe is lightning fast to prepare and can be made with pretty much any vegetable you can peel into strips with a vegetable peeler -- you can either cover the final product with a veggie or chicken stock, or you can just pour half a cup or so of broth in a pan and reduce with white wine to create a light sauce (the possibilities are endless). The key to any variation on this recipe is blanching the vegetable ribbons in salty water (to keep from washing away the flavor): this makes them retain their bright color and fresh taste, along with a fresh, crisp bite.

~

Veggie Ribbons with Noodles

1/4-1/3 lb fettuccine (serves two)

2 carrots

2 celery stalks

2 zucchini

2 summer squash

1 qt. chicken (or vegetable) stock

Cook fettuccine. Bring stock to a boil. Boil salted water and prepare another large bowl of salted ice water (you'll need more than you might think, ~ 2-3 t of salt for a big bowl of water).

Peel carrots, celery, zucchini, and squash into long ribbons with a vegetable peeler. (You won't be able to peel the very center of the zucchini and squash -- the seeds will come apart in your hands. Reserve the centers for another dish.)

When salted water is boiling, add vegetable ribbons to the water, just until the water comes back to a boil (~1 min.). When the vegetables are bright and perfectly al dente, toss them into the salted ice water to shock them and stop the cooking -- this will be what keeps them bright, colorful, toothsome, and delicious.

Add noodles and ribbons to stock, and serve.