Friday, 14 July 2023

99 Ways With Courgettes?

Can't manage 99 but  here are a few to be getting on with, proving that there is no need to complain about a glut of courgettes - they make almost free food!

The first is from a cutting from a magazine that the Somerfield supermarket used to give away. Somerfield was in Saxmundham and after they closed it turned into a Waitrose.


 COURGETTE CRUMBLE



 Notes -  I use a bit of garlic puree from a tube rather than fresh as I don't eat enough of it to make it worthwhile buying or growing. It doesn't need the salt. Any fresh breadcrumbs will do. I save the crusts to use. Pine nuts are very expensive so I don't bother and I usually add some grated strong cheddar as well as a smaller sprinkling of grated Parmesan.

COURGETTE FRITTERS

For one person I used 1 courgette, grated and squeezed as dry as possible, handful of frozen peas - defrosted. Mixed with a a tablespoon of flour, half teaspoon baking powder (not sure that's necessary) a small egg, small pinch salt and good amount of black pepper and half a teaspoon whichever seasoning you fancy - the recipe says cumin, but I used curry powder.

Drop spoons full into hot oil in frying pan and press down, turn over when browned. For a different version of most fritter type recipes some grated cheese can be added but I didn't and served up mine with a couple of rashers of bacon and some tomato ketchup.



COURGETTE and PESTO PASTA SAUCE

Start cooking pasta then heat a little oil in a pan on low heat then add grated courgette, cook until soft. Stir in a spoonful of pesto and then the cooked drained pasta and serve up with a sprinkling of Parmesan and grated cheddar.



Mine was eaten this time with a piece of home made Focaccia  bread which I had cut into pieces before freezing.


And when the courgettes turn into a Marrow

MARROW, APRICOT and (optional)GINGER JAM

2lb Marrow, peeled, seeded and cut into squares (prepared weight)
8oz Dried Apricots, soaked overnight and drained
Grated rind and Juice 2 lemons
3lb Sugar 
(Plus optional grated ginger root/ground ginger)

Steam the marrow for about 15minutes ( I cook in very little water and drain really well) then mash.
Put Apricots in pan with 1½ pints water and cook for 30 minutes until soft.
Add marrow pulp to apricots and the water they were cooked in, with lemon rind, juice and sugar.
Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved, stirring then boil for 15-20 minutes until setting point is reached.
Makes about 5lb and is a good colour and delicious.




Back Tomorrow
Sue

33 comments:

  1. Thank you for adding the courgette crumble recipe, I am going to give that a try, we have an allotment and many green courgettes!! The excess goes in a box outside father in law's house for free, plenty of takers :-)

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    1. People who grow them always have too many which people who don't are grateful for - but not too often!

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  2. Did you use your Breadmaker to make the foccaccia? It looks super

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    1. That was made as a practice for entering the show next month and the Kenwood did it with the dough hook

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  3. Delicious! I like young courgettes raw with lemon and pepper.

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    1. Not keen on raw but steamed for a few minutes then with a salady oil dressing is good

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  4. Thank you for these, Sue. I agree with Angela, the focaccia looks delicious. xx

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    1. Will do it again for the show - will it win a prize I wonder

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  5. Funny I was in Saxmundham yesterday. We were doing a bit of church crawling. Had planned to get to Southwold but stopped at too many churches in the way, only got as far as Blythborough.

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    1. Blythburgh church is my favourite big church in Suffolk (so far)

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  6. It was only when I had a glut of courgettes that I discovered what an unpopular vegetable they are. However, in my opinion, I think that people who dislike courgettes have only ever had them boiled like they used to come back in the 1980s or in a soggy, wet ratatouille. Not very appealing. It was when I had that glut. I learned how to make the courgette chutney, which is absolutely delicious. One of my favourite recipes is Linda Mccartney's fried courgette, apple and onion.

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  7. Love the idea of the fritters-they look so appetising. Catriona

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    1. I make leek fritters in the winter and courgette in summer

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  8. Like the idea of the fritters.

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  9. I pick my courgettes when they are not much bigger than my thumb and do as little as possible with them. Last night I cut them into slices along the length and used them to decorate homemade flatbread made using 100% wholemeal stoneground flour from the water mill down the lane and with the basil growing like Topsy in the greenhouse I made the first lot of pesto to drizzle on top. As the basil and garlic is homegrown I have no problem splashing out on extra Virgin olive oil, the best parmigiano and organic pine nuts from the refill shop. I make my pesto in a bowl and use my olive wood pestle which I brought home from Jerusalem in 1980 (I was a kibbutz volunteer growing Galia melons from seed to harvest) to bring it all together - it’s a delicious sensory experience to make and eat, as all food should be. Sarah in Sussex

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  10. We haven't grown courgettes this year. It is much easier to get around the vegetable plot to get to the other things.

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    1. That's true. The grass path under the spreading courgettes will be very tall by the time I can cut it

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  11. I like courgettes, but my husband doesn't, so, as he does the shopping we don't have them often. Somerfield was the supermarket I worked for and I had retired and moved to Wales just prior to them being sold. The one I worked at became a Co-op who then sold it on to B & M and another shop (large premises).

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    1. I liked Somerfield - had no choice really as it was there or the Co-op for most of the time we were at the smallholding

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  12. These are great recipes, Thank you, I'll definitely be trying them. We have loads of courgettes
    Alison in Wales x

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    1. It will be another courgette meal here tomorrow I think

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  13. Thanks for the reminder about courgette fritters and I like the sound of your pasta dish. I think once our plants get going it will be the first thing I make. The cucumber plants are ahead of the courgettes plants for me this year, I have not had a single fruit yet. I even bought one from Sainsbury's the other day.

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    1. The spare courgette plant doesn't like being in the greenhouse at all while the two outside have gone crazy

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  14. I slice courgettes and lightly fry them, they make a very tasty vegetable accompaniment to most dishes.

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    1. They are good anyway except boiled to a soggy mess

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  15. Fritters are often my go to for all kinds of foods. Noted this latest idea. Around here zucchini, US version of courgettes, are always a glut. The joke is that in season, you never leave your car parked with a window open, or you'll come back and find it stuffed with zucchini.

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  16. I love your recipes and will definitely buy a courgette at the farm store. Thank you for sharing these recipes.

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  17. I can't give you a recipe (oh I wish I had it to share!) but our son and his girlfriend have just been to Paris, and came back with a chocolate courgette cake which was the most amazing cake I've ever eaten! SO rich, and a hint of brandy too, iced on the top and OMG - SO good!

    Some good recipes from you anyway. I have yet to rescue a courgette from the slugs . . .

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  18. Zucchini bread is one of the ways we use up courgettes here. I will also make a stuffed zucchini and have a good recipe for Italian zucchini soup.

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  19. Wow! Really good uses of courgettes.

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