In the kitchen: zucchini salad.

Or, to go with a different title, "Cooled." Yes, we finally installed the A/C (fine, Andrew did, but I helped). I feel bad for complaining because we promised during this last never-ending winter that once the temperature reached above 50 and even if it climbed to 90 we would keep quiet and not whine about how hot it was...but my level of tolerance was quickly dwindling in this humidity. So I feel only slightly, kind of, a tiny bit bad for complaining. 

Before today, we only had the ceiling fan in the living room so the rest of the apartment missed out on any cool air that it might provide; this meant the kitchen was especially rough. This salad, though, hit the spot for dinner after a hot day: it's refreshing, crisp, and light, the perfect summer side. And if you have a mandoline, it's done in no time, meaning you get out of the kitchen that much faster. 

Raw Zucchini Salad, via Michael Ruhlman. 
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2 zucchini 

2 tsp. salt, plus more to taste

1 Tbsp. minced shallot

1 garlic clove, minced

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

2 Tbsp. olive oil 

1/4 cup slivered almonds 

Black pepper

Cut the zucchini thinly on the bias, julienne, or use a mandoline slicer. Put them into a colander and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Toss, then add the second teaspoon of salt. Let stand for 10-20 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the shallot, garlic, and lemon juice. 

Taste the zucchini; if it's too salty, briefly rinse the squash under water and pat dry. In a medium bowl, toss the zucchini with olive oil, then add the shallot mixture. Add almonds, and season with pepper (and more salt/lemon juice, if necessary). 

Serve chilled and stay cool!