Courgettes

Courgettes (or zucchini, depending on where you come from) can become a summertime glut challenge like no other.
Whole books have been written giving 1001 recipes, in fact one or two healthy plants will provide enough of these endless slim, green, or yellow, vegetables, to make you sick of seeing them!

They are, however, the gold dust that every day, in season, will produce food for even more thought.
AND, they hide! If unpicked, or left to grow undisturbed, they will turn into marrow sized monsters.
Here are just a small sample of glut courgette uses.

FRANCES’ DOLCELATTE CREAM OF COUGETTE SOUP

1⁄2 tsp olive oil
1⁄2 oz butter
1 med onion roughly chopped
1-2 cloves crushed garlic
2lb courgettes, unpeeled. Trim the ends off & cut them into 1/3rds then process in food processor fitted with
metal blade to chop.
1 tsp dried oregano
1 pint veg or chicken stock (using cube)
4oz Dolcelatte cheese
Crème Fraise
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
(Garnish with fresh oregano & extra Dolcelatte)

Heat oil & butter in large saucepan until foaming. Add onion & garlic & cook gently for about 5 mins. Stirring
until soft, but not brown.
Add courgettes & oregano with salt & pepper. Cook over medium heat for 10 mins, stirring frequently.
Pour in stock & bring to boil, stirring occasionally for about 30 mins.
Stir in diced Dolcelatte until melted.
Process the soup with hand blender until smooth. Add 2-3 tbsp. crème fraiche & stir over low heat till hot but
not boiling.
Check consistency & add more stock if necessary.
Pour into bowls, swirl in more crème fraiche if desired. Garnish with fresh oregano & extra cheese.
(Can be made without use of crème fraiche. It’s still thick and creamy. AND, it will freeze for months and taste
just as good when thawed.)

MAUREEN’S COURGETTE AND LIME CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE CHIPS

250gm plain flour
2 teasp baking pwd
1 teasp bicarb of soda
125gm softened unsalted butter
126gm light brown musc.sugar
3 medium eggs
1 lime grated and juice250 gms coarsely grated courgettes, trimmed
100gms dark choc curls or chocolate chips
Pre heat oven 180 degrees
Sift flour, baking pwd, bi carb
 
Beat sugar and butter
Add eggs a tablsp at a time
Add lime zest
Fold in flour courgettes lime juice and then fold in chocolate.
Bake in loaf tin, lined, 45-50 mins

COURGETTE AND GINGER JAM

Recipe reproduced with kind permission of Pam Corbin, via Monica
Makes 5 x 340g jars.
1kg overgrown courgettes or marrow, peeled and deseeded (weight after peeling)
100g fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped or grated
100m freshly squeezed lemon juice (ie, the juice of 2 lemons)
1kg jam sugar (that is, sugar with added pectin)

Method:
Coarsely grate the courgettes: the easiest and quickest way to do this is to use the coarse blade on a food
processor or the large holes on a box grater.
Put the courgette, ginger and lemon juice in a roomy, heavy-based pan or preserving pan. Heat gently for three
to four minutes, stirring carefully to prevent it sticking, and let the juices begin to flow. Add the jam sugar, stir
to dissolve, then bring quickly to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for about six minutes, until glossy and transparent.
Take the pan off the heat, stirring in the same direction and spooning off any scum. Leave to rest for a minute
or so, then pour into warm, sterilised jam jars and seal immediately with a twist-on lid.

COURGETTE PAKORA

Pakora are a great,quick and easy, spicy, accompaniment for a curry.
4 courgettes, grated
2 red onions finely slices
2-4 red chillies-to taste
1 teasp curry powder
2 eggs
Salt & pepper
Self-raising flour
(Pinch of paprika if you like a smoky taste too)

Mix all the ingredients together adding enough flour to make a thick paste.
Fry a tablsp of the paste until deep brown on both sides.
Serve hot with dipping sauce.
Should make about 16 Pakora.

COURGETTE & BACON PASTA

Boil as much pasta for the amount of people you are serving.
Slice & fry lean smoky bacon until golden, adding 2 (or more) crushed garlic cloves in last few minutes.
 
Slice lots of courgettes, unpeeled if tender. Cut in half.
Add to the frying pan with bacon & garlic till slightly softened.
Once pasta cooked, drain & return to pan.
Add about half a tub of low fat crème fraiche (more is you’re catering for a large group), and plenty of black
pepper plus plenty of grated cheddar cheese.
Mix.
Gently fold in the bacon mix
Serve with more grated cheese on top.
 
WENDY’S BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
 
1.5kg/3lb 5oz peeled and deseeded butternut squash, cut into 3cm/11⁄4in cubes (see tip)
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into cubes
4 tblsp olive oil
5cm/2in piece fresh root ginger, peeled and chopped

1.5 ltrs/21⁄2 pints vegetable stock
salt & freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Put cubed squash into a large freezer bag with the onion, carrots and red pepper. Add half the oil, salt and
pepper and toss everything together until the vegetables are evenly coated. Tip into a large roasting tin and
spread out.
Roast in the oven for 40–45 minutes, or until tender and tinged brown.
Place a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the remaining oil and, when hot, add the ginger and fry for a
minute. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, then stir in the roasted vegetables and add salt and pepper.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and, using a hand blender, blend smooth.
(Freeze in individual portions) or to eat now, return pan to heat and serve hot with crusty bread.

ALLOTMENT CHUTNEY (adapted from Aunt Liza’s recipe)

3 lb marrow, peeled, quartered lengthways, seeded & diced small
3 lb cooking apples, peeled, cored & chopped small
8 oz onions, peeled & chopped small
1 large garlic clove, peeled & crushed
4 oz sultanas
4 oz raisins
4 oz dried apricots, chopped
4 oz preserved ginger, finely chopped (or 1 tablespoon ground ginger)
2 oz almonds, blanched & chopped
4 tablespoons mustard SEEDS (not powder)
1 tablespoon chillies, seeds removed & finely chopped (or small amount ground chilli powder)
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
One & half pints malt vinegar
4 lb sugar

(Sounds a lot of clat....and it IS.........but its well worth it.)
The chutney is best kept to mature for several months before opening.
Place all ingredients in a large pan & bring to the boil, stirring.
Reduce heat and simmer for one & half – two hours (Asthmatic’s may need to be sent shopping or something),
stirring occasionally, or until the chutney is thick and the consistency of jam.
Spoon while still hot into prepared heated jars.
Seal with airtight, vinegar-proof covers.
Makes about 3 kg/ 7 lb

If you are reading this and have a favourite courgette recipe you are willing to share, please use our contact page and we will try to include it.