A beautiful summertime squash that is as versatile as it is tasty. You can slice it and add it to curries or stir fries but we'd also recommend trying it stuffed. A perfect filling would be couscous or rice with a generous topping of cheese, particularly our gorgeous greek feta.
Country of Origin - UK/Italy/Spain/Morocco
Class - Minimum Class 2
During the summer when we can get British courgettes, they often come from Lyburn farm in the New Forest. Lyburn is run by Jonathan Smales, who grows all kinds of vegetables from broad beans in the spring to sweetcorn in the summer and pumpkins and squash throughout the Autumn. He also grows more unusual crops such as rhubarb. He keeps a 220-strong herd of Friesian Holstein dairy cows who help his crops grow by providing the basis of his organic compost!
Young courgettes can be eaten, raw, in salads, simply rinse and the slice. Older courgettes will require cooking. Depending on your preference you may like to peel them as well as discarding both ends. You can then either boil or steam, until they are soft. You may also want to fry this vegetable as they make delicious fritters. To avoid them soaking up fat, you can salt them first. Courgettes should be kept in the fridge. Younger courgettes should be wrapped to keep soft, whereas more mature courgettes will have a tougher skin and should be fine left loose.
Stuck for ideas? Click here for Courgette recipes