I LOVE this dish. At the whole thing, with a fork, no chips, no nothin’ on the side, just this straight-up for my main meal of the day, and it just rocked. Didn’t share a morsel with anyone!

I’m famous for needing crunchy side things to feel satisfied when I’m eating very high-raw, but I have been recently dedicated to creating recipes that don’t require that. And this one delivered! I had a “pesto” theme in mind, to use some of the wee-leaved potted basil growing here on the lanai, but instead I gave basil a far more supporting — rather than dominant — role. Add some fresh lemon, garlic, green onion, and earthy almost-potato-i-ness of the mushrooms paired with the juicy & refreshing crunch of the cukes, and this dish really delivers on a bunch of levels.

You can use any kind of mushroom you want, but I used simple Utterly Pedestrian button mushrooms. And With one tablespoon of olive oil for a very large salad, this could be argued as low-fat… or you could just reduce it to 1 teaspoon for your weight-watching purposes.

On a hot day (95 & humid here in the Florida heat at the moment), this was great. But it would also be excellent on a cold day… just substitute some baby zucchini for the cucumber and expose your bowl to the lowest temp of your oven for a little bit, to raise the temp by a few still-comfortable-against-your-skin degrees. It will be true comfort food… without the deadening effect of real pasta.

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Recipe for: Mushroom-Cucumber Lemon-Basil Salad…or Make With Zucchini For Warm, Live Pasta!

• 1-1/3 cup finely chopped mushrooms (your pick on the type)
• 1-1/3 cup finely chopped peeled cucumber (I used the long British cuke with minimal gelatinous seedage)
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped (measure first, then chop)
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 small clove garlic, chopped fine (about 1 teaspoon)
• 1 green onion, trimmed and chopped fine (about 1 heaping tablespoon)
• 1/2 teaspoon quality natural salt
• 1 tablespoon cold-pressed olive oil
• generous grindings fresh pepper

Combine all ingredients well to coat with the dressing in the bowl, then tuck in!

To Make A Warm, Live Pasta Version:

Use baby zucchini instead of the cucumber, and when everything is mixed up well, put into your oven on the lowest setting (mine is 170 degrees) for a few minutes. Give it a stir, leave for a few more minutes, then retrieve. The mixture will not be hot (well… if you’re watching it properly, heh). Just expose it to the heat without denaturing the food. It sweats the mushrooms a bit and takes the chill off, making the dish warming and more comforting.

Adding some fresh hot peppers would also add to the feeling of heat!

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