Courgette Recipes
The delicately flavoured courgette is currently taking centre stage in Claire’s kitchen. Claire uses freshly picked produce from the Kitchen Garden along with ingredients from the Farm Shop.
Courgette Baba Ganoush
This is an ideal recipe when courgettes are plentiful and large! It is delicious and one of Claire’s absolute favourites!
Ingredients
- Several large Courgettes
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Salt & pepper
- Lemon, parsley or other herbs (optional)
Method
- Put whole courgettes under the grill at its hottest setting, or over a barbecue or gas flame.
- Turn and grill until they are well blackened on all sides and the flesh is really soft.
- Cut in half lengthways and scoop out the soft flesh, scrape gently right up to the burnt skin (don’t worry if a little bit of the black skin goes in it will add to the flavour!)
- Put the flesh into a sieve over a bowl to allow the excess liquid to drain out.
- Rub the flesh around the sieve to push the water through and/or leave for 30 minutes or so to extract as much as possible.
- Put a clove of garlic, chopped roughly and an inch of olive oil into a jug and whizz with a blender until it is smooth.
- Add the courgette flesh.
- Add olive (or rapeseed) oil until it is about 1/3 of the quantity of the courgette.
- Blend until smooth and pale.
- Season with plenty of salt and pepper and lemon juice too if you like.
Serving Instructions
Serve as a dip with Welbeck sourdough/flatbread or oatcakes
Courgette, Garlic & Saffron Pasta
Ingredients
- 2-3 small Courgettes (per person)
- 1 clove Garlic (per person)
- Good pinch Saffron threads
- Olive oil
- Pasta (spaghetti or linguine)
Method
- Slice courgettes into rounds about 1.5 cm thick.
- Roughly chop the garlic.
- Heat plenty of olive oil in a large heavy frying pan.
- Place the courgettes evenly with one face down in the pan and cook on quite hot until browned on one side, then turn and do the other side. If you have too many to fit in the pan, you can double up a bit, they will shrink and you will squeeze them all in eventually. The aim is to get a good proportion of them browned. Add the garlic as you begin to turn them for the first time. Once courgettes browned, add a cup full of water, a good sprinkling of salt, a good pinch of saffron and turn heat down a little to simmer steadily until they are really soft and delicious. This will take 20 minutes plus. Taste regularly and you will probably need to top up the water. You are aiming for soft, delicious courgettes, some beginning to break down and a delicious olive oil/ garlic/saffron ‘gravy’. (This can all be cooked in advance).
- Cook pasta to taste and add to the courgettes once ready and drained, toss to distribute the sauce.
- Season to taste.
Serving Instructions
You can offer parmesan to sprinkle on top but this can detract from the subtle taste of the courgettes, saffron and garlic.
Courgette and Lemon Confit
This courgette and lemon confit recipe is a slow-cooked and chutney-textured preserve with lemon, black peppercorns and garlic.
Ingredients
- 600g Courgettes (large)
- 150ml Lemon juice
- 150ml Olive oil
- 6 sprigs Thyme
- 4 sprigs Rosemary
- 6 cloves Garlic
- 1 tbsp Fennel seeds
- 20 Black peppercorns
Method
- Wipe the courgettes, then cut them in half lengthways. Slice each half into pieces about 1cm thick.
- Put the lemon juice, olive oil and 150ml of water into a wide, shallow pan. Add the sliced courgettes, the whole thyme and rosemary sprigs, the garlic and bring to the boil. Scatter in the fennel seeds, peppercorns and a teaspoon of salt.
- As the liquid boils, lower to a simmer and cover with a lid. Cook for 30 minutes, until the courgettes are soft.
- Remove the lid, stir the courgettes, then simmer gently for a further half hour, moving them around with a wooden spoon every 5 minutes or so.
- When the courgettes are tender, transfer, together with any juices, to a sterilised, air-tight storage jar. Then leave to cool and refrigerate.
Serving Instructions
This confit can be served a variety of different ways, it can accompany cheese, piled on toasted baguettes and even served a few days later, using the rest of the jar and tossing it into twists of steaming trofie pasta.
Courgette Fries
Courgettes are a source of a mineral called potassium. Potassium helps to keep our muscles working properly so we can move around. Courgettes are also a great source of vitamin C and folic acid.
Ingredients
- 6 Courgettes
- 3 tbsp Plain flour
- Pinch Smoked paprika
Method
- Cut the courgettes into even lengths of 8cm and cut each length into sticks.
- Season the flour with salt, pepper and the paprika.
- Roll the courgette sticks in the flour, making sure they are well coated.
- Heat a saucepan ⅓ filled with oil until a cube of bread frizzles as soon as it hits the pan.
- Fry the courgette sticks in batches until they are crisp and golden.
- Drain each batch on kitchen paper and season with more salt. Serve hot in paper or newspaper cones.
Serving Instructions
Courgette fries make a delicious, healthy alternative to chips. Serve with steak or just as a nibble with drinks.
