Courgettes with Everything

We like courgettes which is a good because they are good do-ers in our garden.  We get excited when the first one is harvested.   I slice the little treasure lengthwise, drizzle over a drop of lemon oil and griddle it on the barbecue.  Delicious!  It is so good we look forward to the next one. 

A week later there are two for the griddle.  One each, what joy!  A few days later there are 3 more and within a couple of months we have lost count.  And that’s the nature of courgettes.  They start slow and gather momentum.   Nothing seems to get in their way.  Slugs leave them alone and even powdery mildew does not seem to affect the harvest.  The result is a gradual (but nonetheless epic) metamorphosis from tiny seeds, to darling sweet plants to monster tryphids.   I give them lots of space in the raised bed but they still try to escape.  The leaves are huge and horribly prickly and soon we have a suburban jungle to maintain with masses of large yellow trumpets warning us that more courgettes are on the way.  We are well practised in the art of resource management and if we were not too busy picking, chopping and griddling them, we would have time to marvel at Mother Nature.

Once, I tentatively suggested to Doc that we could eat just a few of them and put the rest on the compost heap.  He scowled and reminded me that half the world is starving and wasting food is wrong.  He was right and coping with abundance on the plot is all part of the challenge of Growing Our Own. 

 So, during the summer I process what feels like vast quantities of courgettes and I also distribute them amongst family and passing delivery men.   My true friends are those who are happy to receive courgettes instead of flowers or chocolates and I now have rustic paper carrier bags and raffia to give the courgettes that extra gift appeal. 

I have tried lots of different recipes and it is comforting to know how many other people experience excess in the Zucchini department.   Some gardening websites have virtual self-help groups and contributors pour their hearts out.  ”Help me, why don’t courgettes freeze well?”

“..........Dear Disillusioned of Exeter:  Don’t worry, it’s the high moisture content.  Try these simple patties.  Grate 6 lbs of courgettes onto a tea towel and press until dry.  Mix with the other ingredients and freeze.  You will get through it......have faith......”   (I can vouch for that but you may like to consider buying a larger freezer and do remember you only have X months to eat the patties before the new crop arrives.) 

I have developed my own recipes in the hope of finding the Holy Grail for courgettes.  Some recipes are definitely better than others.   Courgette jam may be useful for the biguns, (those that have remained undetected for several weeks and hide under large, low leaves until they are the size of championship marrows) but it’s hardly tasty on the palette and looks insipid.  
I tried baking with courgettes but there is a lot of peeling to do to prevent the bread or cake or biscuits from turning green in the oven.   We’ve had curries, risottos, bakes, stir-fries, ratatouille and soup, in fact courgettes in every conceivable dish.

Doc searched and searched my new ‘Pie With Moroccan Influence’ , convinced he would find courgette.  But, I feel it is important to keep the mystery alive in the kitchen and keep some dishes courgette-free just to keep him guessing.   On that particular day the courgette was lurking in the dessert.   Courgette in fruit salad was not one of my best attempts even if it was ramped up with freshly chopped mint.

However, I do have ways of serving courgettes that repeatedly appear on the table which must mean they have merit.  One of our favourites is courgettes sautéed with bacon.  I use dry cured bacon and fry it in a non-stick frying pan with the minimum of oil until it is starting to crisp.  I then add chopped courgettes and continue frying until everything is a rich golden brown and the courgettes are tender but not mushy.   Sometimes I add chopped onion, thyme and black pepper.  This tasty combo is good on jacket potatoes, or tossed with pasta or simply served as an accompaniment to roast chicken.  Sometimes I fry stale breadcrumbs or bread cubes with the courgette and bacon and toss the mixture with posh salad leaves and a drop of balsamic vinegar for a light lunch.   Sometimes the combo only gets as far as two slices of granary bread and some homemade chutney or tomato sauce. 

We also like grated courgette and carrot, tossed with chopped coriander leaves, olive oil, lemon juice and a sprinkle of poppy seeds.   A bowlful goes well with cold meat or grilled fish.

Of course, what I should do next year is curb my enthusiasm for nurturing seeds.  A zillion lettuces to share with the slugs are fine but we only need 2 courgette plants, not my usual 4.  However, I am addicted to growing and have no self-control.   I know there varieties I have not tried yet and the seed catalogues just seem to draw me in.  The yellow ones look so attractive.  Then there are the new climbing courgettes.   Oooh and stripey ones too......!