COURGETTES

Being a courgette grower, I’m as excited about the large, delicate blossoms that sprout on my courgette plants as I am the green gourds. That’s because I love filling them with lemon zest-spiked ricotta and deep-frying them, or adding them to salads, and swirling them into risottos or frittatas for a vibrant pop of colour. Usually, I find myself with too many courgettes and not enough flowers – a nice problem to have, but I know that for plenty of people the ‘courgette glut’ is something that brings a sense of panic. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with courgettes, they just don’t have much flavour. Sometimes I’m at a loss as to what to do with them – though gifting to friends and neighbours is a good place to start.

Courgettes are, however, a great vehicle for other flavours and take well to being cooked in plenty of olive oil or butter. When they’re really small, firm and nutty, that’s when I love to eat them raw –