Following on from a newsletter request for courgette recipes, we had a great response for some delicious solutions of managing the seasonal glut.
It might be worth pointing out that if you do have a glut of any fruit or veg this summer, then we would be happy to barter your produce for farm shop goods – just make sure to call us in advance to let us know what you have available – 02392 413 576
Anna emailed with Courgette Polpette a Hugh Fearnley Eat-it-All Recipe – saying it needs to be made with Buffalo Mozz but even her kids love them:
INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil
3 medium courgette, finely diced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Finely grated zest of half a lemon
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp grated hard Cheddar
½ ball buffalo mozzarella, diced
50g breadcrumbs
1 tbsp chopped parsley
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
METHOD
How to make courgette polpette
1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC and oil a baking tray or line with baking paper.
2. Heat oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and fry the courgettes and garlic for about 10 minutes, until tender and golden. Set aside to cool a little, then combine with all the other ingredients to make a thick, sticky mixture. Season if you like with black pepper.
3. Take walnut-sized blobs of the mixture and roll into balls. Place on the baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes, until golden. Serve warm or cold, on their own, or with pitta bread and a tomato salad or sauce.
Liz emailed with her Zucchini Bread recipe to say “It’s delicious sliced with a thin layer of butter and very popular at our WI teas.”
Zucchini Bread (or, in English, Courgette Bread)
Pre-heat oven 180o C
| 2 | Eggs | ½ tsp | Salt |
| ¾ cup | Sugar | 1 ½ tsp | Cinnamon |
| 1½ cups | Plain flour | ½ tsp | Nutmeg |
| ¼ tsp | Baking powder | ½ cup | Salad oil |
| ½ tsp | Baking soda | 1 tsp | Vanilla |
| 1 cup | Grated courgette | Handful | Raisins |
Beat eggs – beat in sugar
Stir in oil, vanilla and courgette – mix well
Sift and fold in all dry ingredients
Stir in raisins
Pour into greased loaf tin and bake for 1 hour. Cool for 10 min in tin before removing.
For those not familiar with Canadian ‘cups’ – 1 pint = 2 ¼ cups (i.e. a good sized tea cup – just over 200ml)
Too Many Courgettes and Tomatoes!
Pre-heat oven 190o C
4 medium courgettes (trimmed and sliced into rounds)
2 tbs olive oil
1 large clove garlic – chopped fine
4 oz cheddar cheese (slices or grated)
4 large tomatoes – skinned and sliced
4 tbs parmesan – grated
1 tbs fresh basil – chopped roughly
salt and freshly milled pepper
If you have time, layer sliced courgettes in colander, sprinkling each layer with salt. Put a plate on top and a heavy weight – leave for ½ hour and then rinse and dry courgettes.
Heat oil in large frying pan. Saute garlic and courgettes (both sides) until lightly brown.
Arrange layers of courgettes, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, garlic, basil, salt, pepper in heat-proof gratin dish.
Sprinkle on parmesan – bake on high shelf for 30 mins. Serve with loads of crusty bread.