Jamie is crazy about zucchini.

Bright and colourful zucchini spell summer, says Jamie Oliver, who couldn’t be more excited about his favourite versatile veg, ready to be peeled over cheesy pizza, stuffed and braised Sicilian style, served with torn mozzarella on crusty bruschetta, or t

ZUCCHINI, or ‘courgette’ as we call it in England, is a truly incredible vegetable. For most of my childhood, I’d only ever seen one type of zucchini: boiled to death and pretty disgusting. But things, I’m pleased to say, have changed. Now, the variety of zucchini available is much more interesting – you can get them with delicate flowers, small or medium, yellow, green or ribbed – each with a slightly different flavour and just crying out to be cooked in various ways. This is particularly true in Italy, where the sheer variety of regional zucchini is amazing. Whether stuffed and braised, shaved into salads, roasted, grilled or pickled and preserved, zucchini really is a veg that can take on both bold and delicate flavours. I love how they are enhanced by the energy and simplicity of Italian cooking, and that’s what I’ve tried to celebrate with these beautiful recipes.

When you’re buying zucchini, it’s important to look for varieties that are firm and dense – not floury or spongy. The best way to ensure this is to buy them in season, and as close to when and where they were picked as possible – try your local farmers’ market and don’t be afraid to ask for your zucchini to be split in half so you can see what you’re getting. Otherwise, I’d definitely encourage you to have a go at growing your own. Firstly because it’s so easy to do yourself, and secondly because you get the flowers along with the zucchini. These have a sweet, pollen-like taste and are incredible braised, or stuffed and roasted, or battered and deep-fried and delivered to your table with a lovely glass of crisp white. The choice is yours. Enjoy!