The Last Courgette

Feels a bit sad really. Goodbye to summer, to the warm weather, to working in the allotment in a t-shirt. We ate the last courgette this week and that’s a true sign of approaching Autumn. Considering it’s the end of October, that’s not bad. I’ve been growing Defender (big green normal looking ones, great cropper) and Tondo Chiaro di Nizza (round slightly striped one.) We’ve had a glut, so I have a glut of recipes too, which I will share.  You can use courgettes as courgetti/spaghetti or sliced like sheets of lasagne, for a less calorific version of pasta – they don’t taste quite the same, but they are great for a change.

Courgette antipasti with oil and lemon.  (vegan)

Serves 4, about 30 minutes and then time to chill.

• One large courgette, whatever shape you have and whatever colour.
• Olive oil, 50ml.
  
• Fresh mint, about 15 leaves, chopped.
  
• Juice of one lemon.

Get your ridged grill pan really hot. If you don’t have one of those heavy ridged pans, a normal heavy frying pan will do, but the ridges make a really nice pattern on the courgette. You can do this on the barbeque too, but be careful the slices don't slip through the grid.

In a flattish dish, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and chopped mint leaves.
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Slice the courgette as thinly as you can. Put a little olive oil on a piece of kitchen paper and wipe the courgette slices with it – you need very little as you are grilling, not frying, you just want to stop them sticking. Lay each piece down on the grill surface and cook for 1-2 minutes each side – you want the courgette tender and browning but not burned. As each is cooked, take it out and lay it down in the olive oil mixture, it will hiss and then start to absorb the dressing. You can only do a few at a time, so it can take a while to do a whole courgette. When you’re all done, mix the dish of slices and oil up again and place in the fridge to chill for at least an hour. Taste, adjust the seasoning and eat as part of an antipasti or a salad buffet, along with lots of crusty bread to mop up the juices. They will keep in the fridge in a sealed container for a couple of days.