A member of the squash family, the courgette has a tender flesh and seeds and soft edible skin. Courgette is botanically a fruit (the swollen ovary of the female courgette flower) but is mostly cooked as a vegetable. Its peculiar taste and texture divide diners between fans and foes but my conviction is that cooked well, courgette will seduce and convert its greatest adversaries. So even if you are not a fan, try the lovely courgette recipes in TD (listed below), they will hopefully change your mind on this fabulous fruit-vegetable. Courgettes range in size from about 6 cm to 15 cm, with smaller ones having a sweeter flavour. As well as the familiar green type, attractive bright yellow courgettes are also available. When buying, look for small (larger courgettes tend to have tougher skins), firm courgettes with smooth unblemished skins and a bright colour. Courgettes can be eaten raw or cooked, peel some of their skin off if you don't like their slight bitterness which comes from the skin. Finely chopped or grated raw courgettes and carrots can be mixed together and drizzled with vinaigrette to make a simple salad. They can also be steamed or fried and served with lemon juice or cumin as a mouthwatering side dish. Include them in tarts, risottos, pasta sauces or baked into a bread similar to banana bread. Courgette is also a main ingredient in the classic Mediterranean vegetable dish, la ratatouille, which mixes summer fruits and vegetables cooked over low heat for a long period of time (interestingly this vegetable was not consumed in the UK until the 1950s when British cooks discovered Mediterranean cooking thanks to the writings of Elizabeth David). Courgette flowers can also be eaten, they are a rich yellow colour and can be coated in batter and deep fried or stuffed and steamed or baked. TD has lots of delicious courgette recipes, so it you are not a fan yet, try these and you will be converted!:
Courgette and Gorgonzola veloute
Salmon with minty pesto crumble and courgette fondue
Parmesan and spring onions crusted chicken with courgette carpaccio
Quiche Lorraine sans pâte with grated courgettes