In the UK we call them courgettes, in other countries, zucchini, and when they get BIG, they are called marrow. Wherever they are, once they start producing they go on and on till you are wading through a glut. The trouble is, you cannot grow just one courgette. Minutes after you plant a single seed, hundreds of courgettes will barge out of the ground and sprawl around the garden, menacing the other vegetables. At night, you will be able to hear the ground quake as more and more courgettes erupt into monster marrows. So the trick is to pick and eat them quickly – although this now gives you the problem of what to do with them. All of these recipes are freezerable – or pass-on-able – or barter- able (you know how your blackcurrants failed – find someone whose didn’t and do some trading!)
Courgette Frittatas (this recipe makes 8 but they keep in the fridge for a day or so so you can have two lunches – or invite a friend over for lunch in the garden and serve with a nice salad and a glass of cold white wine)
- 1 large or 2 small courgettes
- 4 spring onions
- 2 tsp rapeseed oil
- 1 crushed garlic clove
- 3 large eggs
- good pinch dill fronds
- 4 tbsp Greek yogurt
Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7, then put an empty muffin tin inside. Coarsely grate 1 large or 2 small courgettes and slice 4 spring onions. Heat 2 tsp rapeseed oil in a frying pan and fry the spring onions for about 3 mins. Stir in 1 crushed garlic clove and the grated courgette and cook for another 1 min, then set aside to cool. Beat 3 large eggs, a good pinch dill fronds and 4 tbsp Greek yogurt together in a jug, then season. Stir in the courgette mixture. Take the muffin tin out of the oven and drop in eight muffin cases, divide the egg mixture between the cases and bake for 15-18 mins until set and golden. Serve hot or cold.
Courgettes, like carrots, make very good cakes so don’t forget they can have a sweet side!
Courgette Loaf Cake
- 2 large eggs
- 125ml vegetable oil
- 85g soft brown sugar
- 350g courgette, coarsely grated
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 300g plain flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 85g walnut, roughly chopped
- 140g sultana
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter and line a 2lb loaf tin with baking parchment. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, oil and sugar, then add the courgettes and vanilla. In another bowl, combine the remaining ingredients with a pinch of salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, then pour into the tin. Bake for 1 hr, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool, then serve, or freeze for up to 1 month.
NB You could go mad and throw a party and serve them all these recipes in one sitting! Starter, Main and Dessert!
Ailsa cooks for One 