Courgettes (or zucchini as they are known in the US and Italy) seem to need harvesting all at once, and they need to be picked daily so they don't get too large. Storing them is also tricky as their high water content means they do not freeze well. But they will keep in the fridge for up to a week after harvesting, as long as you keep them dry and you don't put them into a plastic bag.
If you have an excess of courgettes in your garden, there are a number of dishes you can make or bake, some of which can be frozen.
Courgettes are also delicious eaten raw and included on a plate of cruditeés with a selection of tasty dips. Or use a vegetable peeler to slice them into long, thin ribbons for a salad with feta or goat's cheese crumbled on top.
Courgette ribbons can also be put on top of a homemade pizza or a summer tart. This courgette, feta and mint tart is perfect for a summer picnic or an outdoor lunch. It's very easy to make using a ready rolled sheet of puff pastry, crème fraîche, ribbons of courgette, some chopped mint and crumbled feta cheese.
To avoid excess water in these recipes, it's a good idea to put the sliced courgettes into a colander (over a bowl), sprinkle with salt and put a plate and some weights on top. Set aside for at least an hour.
You could also make courgette 'roses' with a sheet of puff pastry, shown here ready to go in the oven.
These are made in the same way as my apple rose pastries, but the pastry sheet is spread with goats cheese and slices of courgette before being rolled up and put into your muffin tins.
These are delicious for a quick supper with a salad. Or you could try and sneak them into your child's school lunch box!
Typically, courgettes become soft and lose their taste when they are boiled so a good alternative is to roast them. This not only intensifies the flavour but means you can freeze them for later use. Simply cut the courgette into thick slices, drizzle with olive oil and roast for 20 minutes at 190ºC.
I also make batches of soup to freeze for the winter months. My tomato and courgette or pancetta and bean minestrone are both tried and tested and both include a couple of chopped courgettes. Homemade croûtons optional.
And if you still have courgettes to eat up, here's a few other ideas.
Simply thread large pieces of courgette onto skewers with some red onion, colourful peppers and chestnut mushrooms and place under the grill or on the barbecue. This is a great vegetable accompaniment to your bbq meats and an often welcome alternative to salads.
Courgette carbonara is also a favourite in our house. Simply fry some cubed pancetta, add some colourful courgettes (cut into short lengths) and sprinkle over some dried thyme. When that's done, add the cooked pasta and stir in the beaten egg and cheese mixture.
And if you want to go the sweet route, you can grate courgettes into muffins or a cake making sure to get rid of the excess water first. If you like the moistness of a carrot cake, you'll love a courgette cake. Nigella Lawson includes the best recipe ever in her book 'How to be a Domestic Goddess' that uses a homemade lime curd filling and a cream cheese and lime frosting. Be sure to look it up.
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