SEASONAL
CELEBRATING COURGETTES
Make the most of a summer glut with fresh ideas from Samuel Goldsmith, and tend to your crop with advice from Emma Crawforth of BBC Gardeners’ World
photographs MOWIE KAY
Anyone who’s grown their own courgettes knows how useful it is to have a plethora of recipes to call upon for using up a glut. A couple of plants should keep a family happily in courgette wonderland for the year, without the risk of never wanting to see or eat another one again. Courgettes contain a lot of moisture, which can be a great help in many recipes. However, when frying them, as in the curry on page 96, I scoop out the seeds to get a golden, nutty bite that’s not at all soggy in the middle. The seeds aren’t wasted though – I’ve added them in later to make the most of their flavour and moisture.
If using baby courgettes, you can fry them without removing the seeds. Picking your courgettes earlier in the season means you’ll be rewarded with a tender, less bitter fruit that’s perfect in risottos or simply eaten raw.
The pakoras, also on page 96, are an ideal starter to serve ahead of the curry. The natural moisture of courgettes works with the gram flour to bind all the ingredients together (a tip I learned from cookbook writer and former Bake Off semi-finalist Chetna Makan). This helps keep the recipe simple, ruling out the need to squeeze out the liquid.