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At this time of the year some of you may have surplus vegetables growing in your garden.  So if you have any good recipes that you are willing to pass on, please email them into parwich@hotmail.co.uk  

If you have more ideas for courgettes you could  add them to the comment box below. 

So if you have lots of courgettes and fed up with eating them as ordinary vegetables, here are a few ideas.  These recipes have been tested and only the successful ones appear!

1. Courgette Cake (will freeze)
2. Courgette Savoury Bake
3. Courgette Base which is ideal for soups or pasta (will freeze)

(I’d like to try some beetroot or runner bean recipes next time so do send in your ideas)

1.  FLORA’S FAMOUS COURGETTE CAKE with thanks to Nigella, with a few changes

This will make two 8” layer cakes. Line cake tins with baking parchment.

Cake:
180g raisins                           750g courgettes
6 large eggs                           375 ml vegetable oil
400g caster sugar                  675g self-raising flour
¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda      ¾ tsp baking powder

Soak raisins. Wipe courgettes and grate without peeling. Sieve to remove excess water. Cream oil and sugar and add eggs one at a time. Add flour, bicarbonate, baking powder and beat. Stir in the courgette & raisins. Pour the mixture into two sandwich tins and bake Gas mark 4, C180˚, F350˚ for 30 60 minutes.

Filling: Lime curd: Makes 350 ml jar  or buy a ready made jar of lime or lemon curd
75g unsalted butter              3 large eggs
75g caster sugar                   125ml lime juice (approx. 4)
Zest of limes

Melt the butter in heavy-based saucepan, add all other ingredients & whisk to a custard over gentle heat. Let cool before filling jar, or cake. Keep in the fridge.

Icing: for one cake:
200g cream cheese                     100g icing sugar
Juice of 1 lime                             zest of l lime to decorate
2-3 tbsp chopped pistachio nuts, optional.

Beat the cheese until smooth; add the sugar, then the lime juice to taste.

A delicious moist cake with a fabulous topping and filling.  Not a sweet cake.

2. COURGETTE SAVOURY BAKE – Rather like a savoury Egg Custard – very light.
2  Large (Mine were verging on a small marrow size) grated and
Mix with 1/2 tsp of sugar, 1/2 tsp of salt &  cap of vinegar & leave for an hour.  Then wring out excess juice in a clean drying up cloth.
Mix 1/2 pint of cream (I used Elmlea 33%) or Creme Fraiche with 2 whole eggs whisked together.
Mix in the courgettes & some finely grated garlic.
Bake for 1 hour in a low oven – 160 degrees.

This would serve 4 as a vegetable or 2 as a starter with salad.  It reheats well, even in a microwave.

3. COURGETTE BASE IDEAL FOR SOUPS OR PASTA  (Freezes well)
3 tbsp olive oil                             3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1kg courgettes, finely sliced        Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large saucepan, then add the garlic, courgettes and a little salt. Cook gently, so the courgettes soften without browning. As they release their water, turn up the heat to bubble it off. When they become more concentrated and pulpy, turn it down again. Stir whenever they begin to catch on the pan, and do not allow them to brown more than a shade. Keep cooking until they are rich and oily, but not watery. Check seasoning.