Select Page

Is it time to leave courgettes on people’s doorsteps (and run away before they can say ‘no’)?

I swear I only took my eye off the courgette plant for a couple of days! Now, I have huge courgette beasts lumbering into my kitchen… how do I turn them into food?
I looked online and found a great article by one of my favourite food writers, Nigel Slater. Here is his take on what to do with an embarassment of courgettes:
(original article here)

1. Cut them thinly length-wise (or width-wise if yours are as big as mine!), grill them until nicely browned, then make a salad with grilled halloumi or fresh Feta cheese, fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil.
2. Make a ‘lasagne’ with tomato sauce, grilled courgettes, ricotta. He suggests just layering these three ingredients and not using lasagne sheets or white sauce, but the choice is yours…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Courgette, tomato and ricotta bake. Photograph: Jonathan Lovekin

  1. Bake slices of courgette with cream and the herb dill in a shallow oven-proof dish… You could make this as a side dish to grilled fish or baked salmon
Courgette, cream and dill bake. Photograph: Jonathan Lovekin

4. Scoop your courgette flesh out using a spoon. Using the chopped flesh mix it with cold cooked rice and savoury beef mince. Repack it into the ‘shell’, grate some cheese on top and bake in the oven.

5. As above but use rice, fried onion, sultanas and herbs.
6. As above but use cherry tomatoes and basil.
7. Grate your courgette and eat it raw in a salad (try it with lemon or lime juice and chopped mint).
8. Make a cake… see the below recipe. I have seen recommended recipes online also by Nigella Lawson, so I shall experiment and report back on my findings…
Happy cooking!

Courgette cake

Serves 6
200g butter
200g caster sugar
2 eggs
150g courgettes (about 2 small ones)
1 small apple
200g plain flour
a large pinch salt
½ tsp baking powder
pinch cinnamon
60g pecans
80g sultanas (half cup, packed)
  1. Preheat oven at 180C/gas mark 4.
  2. Grease and line the base of a loaf tin measuring 20cm x 12cm x 9cm deep.
  3. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  4. Beat the eggs and mix them in, one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next.
  5. Coarsely grate the courgettes and the apple. Squeeze them with your hands to remove any excess moisture, then add to the mixture.
  6. Mix the flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon, and gently fold into the mixture. Stir in the nuts
    and fruit.
  7. Transfer to the lined loaf tin and bake for about an hour, or until golden and firm to the touch. Allow to cool in the tin before turning out.

 If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #coromandelflavour – I love to see what you’ve been making and any feedback is really welcome.

2 Comments

  1. Schulz Family
    Schulz Family on 13th February 2015 at 9:20 pm

    I like the lasagne idea. Funny title!! 🙂

    Reply
  2. hidebayne
    hidebayne on 17th February 2015 at 6:57 am

    Hi Karen Good to hear from you. Do try the lasagne thing and let me know how you get on…
    I made the stuffed courgette (suggestion 4). It was great and used up a whole snozcumber (have you read Roald Dahl's the BFG, ha ha? That's what large courgettes are called in our house now.)

    Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.