COURGETTES

The word glut could have been invented for courgettes. A corner of my mother’s veg patch is given over to a handful of sprawling courgette plants and every year we battle to keep up with their yield, searching for new ways to use them.

Until recently, I wasn’t that keen on courgettes. Experiences involving my Nonna’s cold, soft, boiled zucchini doused in balsamic vinegar were the root of this dislike and, while I’m sure for diehard fans this is a purist way to eat them, I’ve had to search for something a bit different.

Courgettes were originally from the Americas, but have been bred and grown in Italy from the early 19th century, hence their affiliation with Mediterranean cooking. They have a high water content, so often require salting before cooking, especially if you want a crispy finish.

As a rule, the smaller the courgette, the better. Larger fruits have developed more starch and can be bitter, fibrous and contain more water than their more mini counterparts. Once a courgette has passed a certain size, it becomes a marrow. Save these for soup or ratatouille, scooping out and discarding the seeds.

The secret to courgette success is in the cooking. Fast and hot is best for small to medium varieties – they really come into their own when deep-fried or barbecued. Zucchini fritti are a great alternative to chips, requiring a simple, thin milk and flour batter before deep-frying. I love them cut really thin, but salt them first or they will be soggy. Cooking long slices of courgette or whole baby courgettes on the barbecue brings out their sweetness, and they’re perfect drizzled in good olive oil and added to a grain salad with crumbled feta and chopped mint.

Pasta and courgettes make excellent partners. For a quick supper, shallow fry thick discs of courgette in olive oil and lots of garlic until soft and caramelized at the edges. Add your just-cooked pasta with a little cooking water to the courgette pan with toasted pine nuts and a handful of basil leaves and serve. For Giovanna’s supper clubs and butchery company, see cookandfeast.co.uk