With so many of us growing vegetables at home it's good to have some staple recipes to deal with excess crops, especially at this time of the year. I sow enough courgette plants every year to feed a small village. I like the way they cover the allotment and in my defence I do try to pick them quite small, but inevitably end up with too many even after giving away as many as friends and family will take.
Last year, faced with a few marrow sized courgettes I discovered a way of cooking them slowly to reduce their volume and making them ready to add to loads of other recipes. I grated and salted them then after about ten minutes rinsed them and rung out all the moisture using a clean tea towel. I cooked them in a large frying pan with a little oil and a slug of Yaffle House Sweet Chilli Vinegar on a medium high heat for about 10 minutes, then turned the heat down to low for another 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
I keep a batch of these in the fridge and use them all week. They make a great frittata, mixed with a couple of eggs and topped with cheese. They are also really good added to curries, ragu and pasta sauces and you can even freeze them.
This year I came up with a new courgette recipe when I was searching the internet for broad bean ideas. With a fridge full of both, this was an ideal way to use them up. The quantities are a bit vague, but you really don't need to be too precise with this recipe and can add different seasonings or herbs to make it your own. This is great with pasta, but also lovely stirred through risotto.
Green Pasta Sauce
2 medium courgettes, chopped
A few handfuls of broad beans, cooked and skinned (or peas)
Some spring onions, chopped
Oil
Juice of a lemon
A couple of spoonfuls of Greek yogurt
Some herbs (mint and oregano are good in this)
Parmesan
Pasta
Cook the courgettes in a little oil until soft
Add the broad beans and spring onions and cook until they are warmed through
Take off the heat and add the lemon juice, yogurt, vinegar and herbs
Tip everything into a blender (or use a stick blender) and whizz together
Mix with cooked pasta and top with parmesan cheese