five recipes for courgettes
Summer is here and that means courgettes are here too in abundance. We grow some at home every year and we end up with a glut, giving away as many as we can but also of course packing them into as many dishes as we can. If you don’t grow them you should find they are dirt cheap at the supermarkets while they are bang in season.
Here are 5 of my favourite ways to use courgettes. (Just to be clear – courgettes are zucchini, American friends.)
If you’d rather watch, there’s a video version here:
courgette fries
Equipment
- Deep fat fryer
Ingredients
- 2 courgettes
- salt
- milk
- plain flour
- oil for frying
Instructions
- Slice the courgettes into thin sticks smaller than your finger.
- Put in a sieve over the sink and sprinkle lightly with salt. Leave for 10 minutes to drain off the excess liquid.
- While they sit, get a fryer on to 160°C.
- Get two bowls ready, one with a splash of milk and another with a few shakes of flour (you won't need much).
- Rinse off the salt, then bathe them in milk. Transfer to the flour then fry for 3 minutes until golden brown. Salt and serve immediately.
creamy courgette pasta
Ingredients
- 2 courgettes
- 200 g pasta
- 2 rashers bacon
- 100 g mushrooms
- Handful fresh herbs such as parsley, thyme, dill
- 2 tablespoons creme fraiche
Instructions
- Get a pan of salted water on to boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the pasta instructions. Before the pasta finishes cooking, reserve a few splashes.
- Slice the courgettes, bacon and pasta into similar sizes. Get a frying pan over a medium heat and begin frying the bacon. Once it starts to colour, add in the mushrooms and courgettes.
- Stir fry for a few minutes until things start to soften, then turn the heat down. Sir in the creme fraiche and the herbs. Add the reserved water to slacken the mix to a sauce to your liking.
- Stir in the cooked pasta and check for seasoning. Serve immediately.
roasted orzo salad
Ingredients
- 200 g orzo pasta
- 1-2 courgettes
- 1 pepper
- Pinch dried herbs thyme, oregano, a mixture
- Halloumi
- Red wine vinegar
- Extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Get a griddle pan on very hot. Also get another pan of water on to boil and cook the orzo according to packet instructions.
- Slice the peppers and courgettes and toss with a little oil, salt, pepper and dried herbs. Griddle, making sure to scorch both sides.
- When the veg is cooked remove to a bowl. Slice the halloumi and cook on the griddle for 2 minutes each side just to char.
- Add oil and vinegar to the veg tossing well to coat. Add the pasta and taste, adjusting vinegar, salt and pepper as desired. Pour into a bowl and top with halloumi.
courgette layer bake
Ingredients
- 1 courgette
- ½ tin your favourite tomato sauce or passata like you would use for pasta or pizza topping
- 2 tablespoons creme fraiche
- parmesan
- mozzarella large pinch
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Add a layer of courgettes to a small baking dish. Season lightly then spoon over a layer of tomato sauce. Add courgettes, then repeat sauce and courgettes.
- Mix the creme fraiche and parmesan together and spread over the top. Scatter over grated mozzarella and bake for 20 minutes, until a knife goes in easily.
courgette and chocolate cake
Ingredients
- 120 g softened unsalted butter
- 125 ml sunflower oil
- 300 g sugar mix of brown and white
- 3 eggs
- 125 ml milk
- 350 g plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 4 tbsp cocoa powder
- 400 g courgettes
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 50 g chocolate chips
- 50 g fudge chunks
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 190°C. Grease a baking tin and line with baking paper.
- Put the butter, oil and sugar in a bowl and beat them together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and then the milk.
- Tip in the dry ingredients and fold them into the mixture. Stir in the courgettes, chocolate chips, fudge and vanilla, then spoon the mixture into the tin.
- Bake for 45 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.