I’m always looking for inspiration when I shop at farmer’s markets. The heirloom varieties of summer squash, like Goldbar, Paddle, and 8-Ball, are among my new favorites. To highlight their subtle flavor, I splash them with a simple lemon dressing, then surround them with sharp cheese and peppery greens.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 4

　　2 large lemons

　　2 teaspoons kosher salt

　　Scant 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

　　3 ounces arugula, preferably wild or baby (2 cups packed)

　　2 small or 1 medium yellow squash, sliced paper-thin

　　2 small or 1 medium zucchini, sliced paper-thin

　　2 ounces aged pecorino cheese

　　Freshly ground black pepper

　　

Step 1

Grate the zest of one of the lemons directly into a jar or bowl with a tight-fitting lid. Squeeze a scant 1/2 cup juice from the lemons and add to the zest. Add the salt and oil, cover tightly, and shake vigorously.

　　

Step 2

Spread the arugula in a single layer in a serving dish. Scatter the squash and zucchini on top. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the cheese all over. Shake the dressing again and pour over the salad. Grind the pepper over everything and serve immediately.

　　

c’est bon

Step 3

The best, and really only, way to get perfect paper-thin slices of squash (and any number of other vegetables) is with a mandoline. The traditional, albeit pricey, French mandolines work beautifully, as do the more compact and inexpensive Japanese ones.

　　Reprinted with permission from Home Cooking with Jean-Georges: My Favorite Simple Recipes by Jean-Georges Vongerichten with Genevieve Ko. Copyright © 2011 by Jean-Georges Vongerichten; photographs copyright © 2011 by John Kernick. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Jean-Georges Vongerichten is one of the most influential chefs in the world, having single-handedly redefined haute French cuisine, lightening and refining it by adding select Asian accents. He is the chef-owner of dozens of restaurants in fourteen cities around the world. His flagship restaurant, Jean Georges, at New York's Columbus Circle, is one of six restaurants in the United States to have been awarded three coveted Michelin stars; it received four stars from the New York Times. The winner of multiple James Beard Foundation awards, he lives in New York City and Waccabuc, New York, with his family.Genevieve Ko is a cookbook author and the senior food editor at Good Housekeeping magazine. She has written for Martha Stewart Living, Gourmet, and Fine Cooking and lives in New York City with her family.