Pick courgette flowers for cooking

Courgettes produce male and female flowers, and once the female flowers have been pollinated and embryo fruits start to develop behind them, you can pick the male ones for cooking. The flowers don’t last long, so pick them the same day you want to eat them. Remove the flower with a pair of scissors or snips, cutting just behind the flower head, leaving a 2.5cm (1in) stem attached. The flowers can be dipped in batter and deep fried; stuffed with cheese and herbs and fried or simply added to salads or stir fries.