Everyone still needs to find new and interesting ways to eat their summer zucchini stash, correct? Well, have I got a deal for you!

How about some raw zucchini rolls filled with cashew cheese and garnished with that queen of summer lovelies, the heirloom tomato?

I found these rolls to be surprisingly filling--and unsurprisingly delicious. Even John, cordial disliker of zucchini, thought they were good. Raw zucchini obviously tastes a bit different from cooked--which makes this an even more refreshing change from the endless squash sautes and pasta sauces and bread and cakes that normally dominate the summer zucchini discussion.

The process is simple. First, make yourself a batch of cashew cheese. Next, cut up your zucchini and tomato. Finally, assemble your rolls.

I've been experimenting with various additions to cashew cheese. I based this variation off Gena's "pizza cheese", switching out the basil for scallion and sweet bell pepper. Result: delightful.


Cashew cheese

1 cup cashews, soaked 1 hr and drained
pinch salt
1/2 tsp white miso
small handful sun-dried tomatoes
large handful chopped scallion greens
small handful chopped sweet pepper of your choice
1/8 cup water

Essentially, you just want to grind everything together into a medium-thick paste. Start by grinding the cashews alone. Then add everything else and continue to grind until everything is pureed together. You can also add a bit more water to thin down your cheese if necessary.

I make my cashew cheese in the blender, because we don't have a food processor. You should use a food processor if you have one, because the blender--being better suited to more liquid pursuits--will make you want to hurl it across the room. (I actually got the tip of the spatula stuck under the blender blade and had to use a second spatula to scrape out the finished cheese before completely disassembling the pitcher in order to get the damn thing out. AWESOME.) I'm just saying.

This recipe will be enough to fill two or three medium zucchinis' worth of rolls. I had plenty left over for later snacking and garnishing.


When you're done making your cashew cheese, it's time to make the rolls themselves.

Raw zucchini rolls with cashew cheese and heirloom tomato

cashew cheese, made as above or by your method of choice
whole raw zucchini
heirloom tomato

To make the zucchini strips, just take a vegetable peeler to a topped & tailed zucchini. Cut a bunch of long thin strips all the way down the length of the zucchini. You'll probably have to discard (or, you know, just eat) the first few strips because they'll be very narrow & irregular. When you start getting to the seed chamber, rotate the zucchini 1/3 of the way around and start cutting more strips. Cut as many strips as you want rolls and save the middle for some other purpose.

The tomato is easy; just core and dice it. (You can also leave out the tomato if you want to eat the finished rolls as finger food--for instance, if you're making a big tray for a party. Tomato is delicious, but it does get messy.)

To make the rolls, deposit a small spoonful of cashew cheese on one end of a zucchini strip. Then just roll it up. I find it easiest to wrap the long tail around the cashew cheese section to form the roll, but do whatever works for you. Repeat until you have a lovely plateful of rolls.


Scatter the tomato over the rolls, sprinkle with pepper, and eat.

Hooray! A cool, refreshing, easy to make, filling, and totally delicious plate of food. You win summer!