Wednesday 10 October 2012

Courgettes or Zucchini - a round-up of recipes


Courgettes or zucchini to my friends across the pond, have only really become popular in the UK over the past ten years.  The first time I discovered them though was about twenty years ago when a French teenager came to stay for a few weeks one Summer, he sliced a couple and fried them in a pan, YUM!!!!
Courgettes are at their best between June and September but we eat them all the year round! A member of the Cucurbitaceae family which also includes cucumbers, marrows, pumpkin and melons, courgettes are probably one of the most versatile vegetables in your pantry because they can be eaten in sweet and savoury dishes as well as raw. Available to buy in green and yellow they can add lovely colour to salads and vegetable dishes. They're also a good source of vitamins A and C as well as potassium and courgettes (in particular the golden skin variety) are rich in antioxidants such as carotenes, lutein and zeaxanthin.

Here are some recent recipes and also some from the archives that you may wish to try sometime, all SCD legal and easy to prepare :

1. Stuffed Courgettes



These are so tasty with the home made baked beans filling and cheesy topping.

2. Courgette and Pea Soup


 This is one of my favourite soups and awesome with onion bhajis (not SCD legal)!

3. Golden Courgette Pasta



Very quick to make, this is an ideal lunch and makes a great change from regular pasta which is of course not permitted on the SCD.

4. Carrot and Courgette Fritters


Absolutely gorgeous eaten cold!

5. Courgette and Carrot Muffins


and finally, my latest recipe Courgette and Roasted Tomato Soup