Photo by Michael Piazza / Styled by Catrine Kelty

We love pairing a flavorful protein as an accent with a vegetable-focused dish or salad. Here, we use sardines to add umami and richness to the incredible freshness of summer produce. You may be tempted to skip the sardines but they are the key to making these humble vegetables sing. We generally keep some tinned fish in the cupboard for any occasion, no matter how small.

Serves 6

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 
1 tablespoon celery seeds 
1 tablespoon salt 
1 tablespoon honey 
⅓ cup champagne vinegar 
⅔ cup olive oil 
3 pounds mixed green and gold baby zucchini and pattypan squash, if available 
1 (6.7-ounce) tin sardines (we like the Bar Harbor products from Maine) 
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 
1 pint cherry tomatoes (mix up the colors and shapes) 
olive oil 
flaky sea salt 
1 cup assorted roughly chopped herbs (parsley, scallions, mint, oregano)

To make the vinaigrette, combine Dijon mustard, celery seeds, salt, honey and vinegar in a medium-size mixing bowl and use a whisk to mix until thoroughly combined. Continue to whisk while slowly streaming in the olive oil, a little bit at a time, until all of the oil is added. Set aside.

Prepare the zucchini and squash. Shave 1 green and 1 gold zucchini into thin ribbons on a mandoline (or with a vegetable peeler) and set aside. Cut the other zucchini and squash into ½-inch slices or wedges, but if very small, cut in half diagonally; marinate with olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes to add char but still maintain a nice crunch. Once the grilled vegetables have cooled, cut into bite-sized pieces, or leave whole if desired.

Open the tin of sardines and drain, drying the fish on a paper towel. Gently pry the sardines in half to remove the backbone, if needed. Cut into bite-size pieces and sprinkle with lemon juice.

Slice the cherry tomatoes into quarters or halves depending on size. Season with flaky sea salt, pepper and some celery seed vinaigrette. 

To assemble, quickly marinate the raw zucchini with flaky salt and some celery seed vinaigrette. Dress the grilled vegetables in more vinaigrette. Begin layering all the ingredients in a shallow bowl or serving platter: Start with the grilled squash and tomatoes, then add the sardines and shaved raw zucchini, twisting or curling the zucchini ribbons for an attractive presentation. Add the chopped herbs and top with a touch more sea salt, pepper and vinaigrette as needed.

This recipe appeared in the Summer 2022 issue as part of a larger story: A Thistle & Leek Summertime Supper.