I’ve been a pretty serious fan of the Golubka blog for a while. Their raw food creations always hit me with an immediate appeal to taste, and then slowly as I read, they would surprise me with their intricacy. Their style of cuisine spoke to me with its naturally healthy virtues and they managed to make it look so ethereally beautiful as well.
So when they sent me their book and I saw that it was a fully realized, but also expanded-upon, version of the creative work that they share on the site, I was immediately inspired. When a book or an entity of any kind makes your mind tick with possibility–for your health, your family table and your whole life–it’s a good one. Also, there’s a lot to be said about a cookbook that can convey a sense of time and place in the world–a trait I find most appealing in any food related publication actually.
Almost all of the recipes are vegan and a nice selection of them are raw–all gluten free and seasonal in theme as well. When the really balmy hot days start to take over here, this is the kind of inspiration I crave most. Abundant, colourful, and satisfying for these days that we spend predominantly outdoors
I was debating between making this zucchini spaghetti dish or the berry and chocolate crisp for today. Mark really wanted the dessert, but I wanted a light summer dinner on our porch at dusk (and apparently Shanna and Tim did too!). (I’m confident that the crisp will be happening next week, what with the impending glut of berries coming on). I use a julienne peeler for this, but a spiralizer would be awesome too for making the delicious vegetable “spaghetti.” This will be the first of many from Anya’s table to ours. Some other bits that look so, so good: kale + mustard muffins, cacao buckwheat granola, fava bean quinoa cakes, fig bars, and spinach quinoa crepes. You can get a copy here, and I really think you should.
Hope you’re enjoying that sunshine, and maybe a few magical summer storms too :)
Zucchini Spaghetti with Pumpkin Seed Pesto & Peaches
Ingredients
Pesto
- 1 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
- 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- splash of water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, peeled & crushed
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Zucchini Spaghetti & Assembly
- 4-5 medium zucchini
- 2 peaches
- handful of chopped basil
Equipment
Notes
- From The Vibrant Table: Recipes from My Always Vegetarian, Mostly Vegan & Sometimes Raw Kitchen
- I toasted the pumpkin seeds with a bit of salt before grinding them into the pesto, but if you prefer to keep this raw, just skip that step.
- I use a julienne peeler for the zucchini, but if you have a spiralizer, you can probably get away with 3 zucchinis since it better utilizes the seedier inner part of the vegetable.
Instructions
- Place the toasted pumpkin seeds in the bowl of a food processor with the “S” bade in place. Pulse the seeds until they are the texture of coarse breadcrumbs. From here, add the basil, olive oil, water, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Turn the food processor onto high until you have a smooth paste. Set the pesto aside.
- With a julienne peeler, make long lengthwise strands of zucchini, avoiding peeling the centers if they’re a bit seedy. Place zucchini “spaghetti” in a large bowl and toss with a heavy pinch of salt. Let the zucchini sit for about 5 minutes so that the salt can soften the noodles ever so slightly. Pit and slice your peaches while you wait.
- Toss the zucchini spaghetti with most of the pesto until strands are evenly coated. Arrange the peaches on top and tear pieces of basil to finish it off. Garnish with some extra bits of pesto if you like. Serve immediately.
Just made this tonight, it was delicious! Adding it to the regular summer rotation. Thank you!
This dish looks absolutely gorgeous! Definitely should try it out. Thanks for inspiring me for dinner tomorrow! :)
This is delicious! I added some asparagus for fun but otherwise followed this exactly. Loved it!
Just a question from someone who’s wondering about starting a cooking blog, do you get permission from the cookbooks you post recipes from? Or is it enough that you source/mention where you got them and aren’t claiming they are your own ideas.
Hi Tess,
For this particular recipe, I was promoting my friend Anya’s book on her + her publisher’s request, so I did have very explicit permission to re-print her recipe. Here’s a great article on recipe attribution for future reference though.
-L
You’re my new favorite blog!!! I am making this for lunch and couldn’t be more excited! xoxo, Kelly
Thank you for the inspiration. This is my favorite summer lunch. Pumpkin seeds are a perfect replacement for pine nuts-I’m allergic to tree nuts.
Laura, gorgeous photos, as always. Anya’s book is lovely. It’s so fun to see others’ visual interpretations of recipes. Your kitchen! I love it. Can we talk sometime about how you sealed those counters? I got a kitchen island from Ikea with a similar top and it doesn’t look so good.
I can’t remember if I posted on this or not… the recipe seems somewhat familiar but I just can’t recall if I ever told you how beautiful it is. I’m kind of obsessed with everything in this dish. Especially the pesto. I could eat pesto every day and be a happy camper.
I’ve been wanting to try the zucchini spaghetti ever since I got my hands on the book – but the last time I ate raw zucchini I was bed ridden for two days with what I still swear is the worst stomach bug I’ve ever had. It probably wasn’t the zucchini, but every time I look at zucchini noodles I’m taken back to that terribly miserable day. However, that pesto is another story. I’m gonna smother some brown rice noodles in it later tonight and *maybe* shred some zucchini on top. BABY STEPS, YO.
PS – Your photos always make me swoon. And I think I tell you that every time.
I have been loving seeing all these zucchini noodles! I’ve only recently started making them, and am totally hooked. Thea edition of peaches and pesto?? Just. Brilliant. xo
This summer I’m learning how to grill! I finally bought a grill after 2 years so I’m hoping to find some good recipes and not burn everything :). I love zucchini pasta and this recipe looks amazing. Thanks for sharing!
Asparagus!!!! We love to put a little olive oil, lemon and a secret seasoning mix that has a little kick to it then put them on the grill. Delicious!
my summer goal is to go on a road trip up north, and enjoy and revel in the beauty of summer minus the crazy heat waves. preferably with my dog :)
I am going to build myself an outdoor sleeping area, covered and screen, cool and breezy
1. Something seasonal you plan to cross off your list this summer: seeing the sun for as many of the next weekends as I can (i.e. escaping the San Francisco summer fog).
2. Your favourite summer fruit or vegetable and your go-to way to eat it: Current favorites, heirloom tomato sliced and garnished with crumbled feta cheese, oregano, and nice olive oil (great accompaniment to a homemade herb and fennel spanikopita w/ spelt dough) OR any berries or watermelon I can get my hands on. I’m particularly into making ‘fresca’ (w/o extra sugar)…water, ice, and a few strawberries or pieces of watermelon into the blender. Verrry refreshing!
It’s too hard for me to choose one blanket summer favorite, but right now having just come back from a trip to Brazil, where they’re really not about the vegetable or good fresh bread, I’m obsessed with: a perfectly CREAMY AVOCADO spread extra thick on a slice of SPROUTED MICHE, topped with a WHITE ANCHOVY and a good squeeze of LEMON. Ooooh and fresh, crunchy, spicy RADISHES dipped in whipped BUTTER topped with SALT.Omg my stomach is rumbling I need to go……….
This looks DIVINE! I’ve had CRAZY cravings for zucchini pasta and pesto lately (what can I say–summer = basil = ALL THE PESTO!!) so this is definitely happening soon. The peaches are an unexpected addition but, no doubt, delicous.
I’d have to say my favourite thing about summer is going for a nice relaxing run or walk in the evening, just as the sun is going down and the breeze is cooling off.
Happy summer!
Love the recipe! I discovered kohlrabi this summer, and love it in a simple vinegar-based coleslaw.
Oh my, lovely.
Definitely blueberries, eaten right off the bush. My favorite PIYO place just opened today, and I’m going Wednesday. Can’t wait!
1. Take a day trip on my bike, outside of NYC.
2. Grilled peaches and halloumi cheese. As an appetizer, while preparing a gourmet meal for friends and family.
I am obsessed with zucchini spaghetti! I just made some with pesto last night. I finally purchased a spiralizer and I highly recommend it. The Vibrant Table sounds like my kinda book! I would love to have a copy. This summer I want to:
Host a candlelight dinner for 20 in my backyard – we did it two years ago and it was magical. Something about a balmy night and the sound of many friends enjoying it together.
Make a dessert with sweet, sweet pluots. Maybe a cobbler – I like crisps, but I’m craving that cake-y batter with the intense juice from the fruit.
This past week I crossed off my must-have summer adventure: overnight camping on a mountaintop in the Smoky Mountains. After quite a wild thunderstorm in the evening, we were treated to a lovely foggy morning hike through the forest.
Tomatoes and corn on the cob win the fruit/veg of summer contest for me. I like thick slices of tomato, topped with plain yogurt, fresh basil, and s+p. And I like my corn grilled and topped with a chili-butter.
1. i am making the forest hike a regular weekend trip
2. tomatoes on toast with basil and honey – tastes like summer every time
your blog is beautiful and makes me excited to cook. couldn’t ask for more :)
Your blog is awesome.
Tomatoes, hands down. Roughly cut and topped with sea salt, basil and a generous glug of extra virgin olive oil. Stir and let sit until the juices start running then eat and sop it all up with a fresh baguette.
1) We crossed off setting up a hammock chair in the backyard to cozy up and read with my four year old.
2) We really love our arugula, cilantro and mint straight out of the garden. Otherwise, making your Vanilla-Stewed Rhubarb is always a favourite, and we never go without watermelon mint popsicles in the freezer!
I love making paletas, it is a wonderful contrast to the suffocating humidity of New York City in the summer. My favourite to date is jalapeño and pinapple. I can’t have a weekend in the city without a picnic in the park, people watching – two essentials… portable speakers and cheese!
My favorite summer produce is rhubarb – I love to eat it in strawberry-rhubarb pie! It makes me think of my grandparents and how they always grew rhubarb specifically for strawberry-rhubarb pie :D
Salads! Soft butter lettuce from Josh and Melissa’s farm and Tokyo turnips, purple radishes, green onions and hemp seeds sprinkled all over, dressed with a yummy maple syrup, lemon juice, garlic and balsamic dressing! Oooh! So good that we dream about it and celebrate the start of the Farmers’ Market season by taking the day off so we can take the time to catch up with everyone, and check out new vendors. Love Summer and all the salad possibilities that lie ahead!
My favorite summer fruit = fresh bing cherries. I eat them with raw walnuts or on top of coconut milk ice cream.
Strawberries mixed in with vegan yogurt!
The flavours here are so intriguing! I can’t wait to visit my dad who lives far away, as is summer tradition. I just moved to Minneapolis from Winnipeg, Canada and I really look forward to exploring Minnesota on camping trips during these brief but beautiful warm months. Juicy nectarines, peaches, strawberries and cherries are my favourite summer foods. I’m going to make a tart with fresh strawberries so very soon!
I was introduced to your blog recently and find myself browsing it often for inspiration and recipes! It truly is a beautiful place to visit! Myself and my family are gluten, dairy and meat free. Anya’s cookbook sounds like a wonderful fit for us! Her recipes that you mentioned have piqued my interest. I would love a copy of her book! To answer question number two, my favourite summertime veg is snap peas. I love their sweetness, and the warmth of the sun soaked pods juxtaposed with the cool crunch of the peas inside. I like them best straight from the plant still standing in my garden. I especially like when my kids are by my side sharing them with me!
Grilled peaches with homemade ricotta, honey, and a pinch of salt is a summer favorite and I’m hoping to go blueberry picking in Mississippi!
Stunning photos as always!!
I would love to have an outdoor picnic this summer complete with a fancy picnic basket.
My favorite summer fruit is peaches and I love a good peach cobbler :)
This recipe looks outrageously good.
My favourite summer fruit are cherries, eaten by the handful directly from the tree. Preferably after biking to the orchard!
My favorite is fresh corn from the farmers market- grilled with cilantro lime butter, or roasted, cut off the cob, and in a salad with cherry tomatoes, avocado, crab meat, and a honey lime vinaigrette. Yummmmm!
Summer to do list? Books- reading as many as I can out in the sunshine!
Laura, I am so, so honored! Thank you for such a kind, thoughtful review – you saw in the book exactly what I hoped readers would see. Hope you get to try the crumble soon :)
Berries! As many different ones as I can get my hands on!! Hopefully I will get to fit in a day on a picking farm in, before the season is over.
I have been a longtime fan of Golubka and this cookbook looks like a glorious continuation on paper. This coming weekend I am crossing off my summer list, wine tasting and camping along the Oregon coast. My favorite summer vegetable would have to be sun-ripened tomatoes consumed with burrata and sea salt because it reminds me of my honeymoon in Big Sur, CA.
Looks great! This summer I’m looking forward to mastering the art of great, healthy ‘travel snacks’ and there is nothing better than basil being used for fresh pesto :)
My favourite summer fruit is local strawberries. And my favourite way to eat them is right out of the box after I buy them, walking around the farmers market.
This summer I am looking forward to planting my “verticle” gardens to hang from my fence!
My favorite summer food is (hands down) watermelon! This season has brought so many scrumptious, sweet and mouth watering melons to my table,its an endless amount of pure bliss!
With the abundance of fruits and vegetables available in California’s central valley during the summer it is difficult to pick just one, but one all-time favorite is the Kingsburg sweet 100 tomatoes. I like to eat them in a salad or on pasta if any make it home from the farmer’s market — I’ll eat them out of the basket!
First, by the end of summer, I want to finally achieve a headstand!
Second, PEACHES!! I have two simple favorites – sliced fresh, atop a crispy polenta cake, topped with gorgonzola/feta/goat cheese and some honey, or a salad of sliced peaches, red onion, feta and mint, drizzled with olive oil, salt & pepper.
One summery thing I hope to do is take my daughter to the fair for the first time! And my favorite summer fruit has always been mangos. I eat them plain, when they’re perfect and ripe :)
Hi, I was about to buy this book but I will wait until this giveaway!
1) I would like to have picnics at the park, I never do and I always fantasize of doing them. My favorite fruit is peaches! I can’t get enough of them, and blueberries and plums and all the berries, oh gosh, I love summer season!
2) quesadillas with avocado and of course Gazpacho!
Thank you for your generosity!
I live in Calgary, Canada, where winters start in October and end in late May. There is never enough summer. I have a pretty big balcony I have not been able to enjoy. Its concrete pad was in a pretty bad condition and it’s really windy on the 9th floor where I live. This year, my dad helped me resurface the concrete and we put acrylic sheets on the railing to make it less windy. It’s perfect. I bought a nice outdoor rug and some planters and have been having my morning coffee out there every day. I plan to continue for the rest of the summer. Next, barbeque!
This weekend I will be visiting a camp in the woods on Cape Cod where I had my first nursing job several summers ago. Friends who live there year-round and a visiting friend will meet there for bonfires, pond-swimming, and cocktails on the dock (“docktails”). I have been waiting all winter for this summer treat. I love your blog and Golubka!