This CARROT ZUCCHINI SALAD is made with fresh ingredients and no mayonnaise so it’s perfect for all your summer picnics or an easy dinner side dish!

A few years ago we discovered the local farmer’s market, and I’m not going to lie, we strictly used it as a way to get out of the house with our toddler who refused to sleep past 6 a.m. I mean, on a weekend morning there is literally nothing else open that early. It was perfect.

But the more kids we had, the worse we got about tending to our summer vegetable garden… and obviously the more we needed to get out of the house at like 7 a.m. on summer Saturday mornings. We are pretty much just down to growing herbs and tomatoes. I’m sure that we will get back in the swing of things when they get a little older, but I feel pretty good about keeping three small souls alive, even if right now I can barely keep tomatoes alive too.

So now we use the farmer’s market as an early morning escape and for what it’s actually intended, buying fresh summer goods! This salad could alternately be named Fresh Summer Salad because with it’s basil and zucchini in there, it is just a short walk to the garden or farmer’s market trip away from being made. Its long ribbons of veggies make it great for entertaining, but the ease with which it comes together makes it great as a side for weeknight family dinners!