OOH LA LA!

So although I have trillions of recipes which make the most of the humble zucchini, I must make sure that I don't get defined as the queen of courgettes and marrows!

 

 

Crisp crunchy little gem lettuces

 perfectly accompany a fish finger sandwich with mayo but with a little gastronomic twist they can be turned into an impressive French feast and add a little frisson of excitement to your evening meal!  Bon appetit!

 

 

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/518641/frenchstyle-chicken-with-peas-and-bacon

 

 

Also although I adore lime green I am told it has been a little difficult for some of you to read the text so am rebranding so it is a little easier on the eye!  Let me know your thoughts.

 

FOR MY 'SOUPER' FRIEND - AND YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!

Tales of bitter courgettes bought from the supermarket but only fit to turn into soup gave me food for thought.     I know it’s easy to throw all the old veggies together and make a wonderful healthy concoction but why not try an earthy combination from the Covent Garden Soup Company?    Eat your heart out Popeye!  Courgettes, spinach and peas meld together, destined to give you your iron supply for at least a week!   

http://newcoventgardensoup.com/recipes-grouping/courgette-pea-cr%C3%A8me-fraiche-soup 

 

This recipe was not supposed to reveal itself until the cold days of autumn but don’t worry Lakeland’s soup bags will keep it tucked away ready for a chilly October lunch! 

 

http://www.lakeland.co.uk/18319/500ml-Soup-%27n%27-Sauce-Bags

 

Ignore the tarragon in the list of ingredients, way too perfumed to make this broth work and at step four just throw in all remaining ingredients, including the crème fraiche, cook for a short while and then blend again. 

Also I would suggest you use less stock too.  The recipe in the Covent Garden book advocates about three quarters of a pint rather than two pints, depends  on how thick you like it.  Maybe have a play.  Too much can’t be taken away-  better  to be frugal then add more as you go along.

Courgette and cheddar muffins work wonders dunked in this gorgeous green elixir but this recipe won’t be divulged  for a while yet so keep your eyes peeled!

 

BABY BABY!

Cultivating bush baby marrows was meant to avoid last year's surplus when we were inundated with an overabundance of the more grown up version none of us could keep up with but somehow the same thing seems to be happening again already!  So a moreish *marrow and raisin cake reminiscent of  the good old fashioned Farmhouse fruit cake we used to eat for Sunday tea all those decades ago has been baked and frozen although some was consumed greedily with creamy custard before it got there!

http://www.mumsnet.com/food/recipe/473-Marrow-and-raisin-cake

 

Taking another trip down memory lane, a savoury option stuffed with mince and peppers, topped with melted cheese will be tonight's tea - a tried and tested retro recipe from an old dog-eared book circa 1978 bought in the Boots cookshop an eternity ago!   (Unbelievably used copies still available on Amazon for 47p!!)  Anyone remember Timothy Whites?

Halve your marrow lengthways and scoop out the seeds and arrange in a greased baking dish.   Fry two onions, two carrots and a chopped green pepper till soft and then add the mince and brown.  Stir in a large tin of tomatoes, a teaspoon of paprika and bring to the boil and cook for five minutes.  The recipe then suggests using breadcrumbs but I always throw in a couple of handfuls of sage and onion stuffing instead which gives a bit more flavour.  Then add an egg to the mixture.  Spoon into the marrow cavity and sprinkle four ounces of cheddar over the top.  Dice a little butter and scatter on the cheese or the sides of the marrow.  Bake for one hour at 160 degrees (fan oven).  Lovely served with new potatoes but this is really a meal in itself. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 

WASTE NOT, WANT NOT

 

Rearing children is not without its difficulties, nurturing infant seedlings can be fraught with problems too.  Baby courgettes are born daily - even creatures other than the slugs seem to be tempted by their verdant lusciousness - maybe the fox who pops in during the daytime to keep an eye on things or perhaps the deer who drops in when we go home at night.  So I have to whisk them away swiftly to transform them into *BBC Good Food's lemon and pistachio cake drizzled seductively with icing and lemon curd so they are not wasted.

 

 

 

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/pistachio-courgette-lemon-cake 

SUNSHINE ON A PLATE!

 

 

Golden jewels, sunshine yellow patty pan squash are roasted with courgettes, onions and carrots for Sunday lunch - with the odd mangetout thrown in - although these are better quickly steamed in my new *Munch Box from Neat Ideas, such a bargain from Amazon, retailing at only just over £4 including p and p - and also perfect for keeping my continually cropping mixed salad leaves crisp.  Couldn't resist that one after I purchased their salad spinner a few months ago - a new toy I have played with over and over again!  And again excellent value - and much more efficient than the old paper towel method!

 

 

 

 

 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Neat-Ideas-Munch-Box-container/dp/B00KIQKTRK

HEALTHY HORTICULTURE!

 

Current research with all the expected accompanying buzzwords purports to show that horticultural pursuits are good for the nation's health and well being.  In my inherited little oasis, a fruit and vegetable patch passed down generously by a family whose much-loved gardening expert sadly passed away two years ago, I can corroborate this - a sense of calm and tranquillity descending on me as I sow, weed and harvest, unless the snails are on the march when a tumultuous organic/vs non organic battle ensues with my other half!

 

 

 

As the harvesting season bursts into life the valiant quest begins to find diverse ways to utilise gluts of produce magically appearing in every corner each time I visit the garden.  Recipes from BBC's Good Food magazine or the internet, ideas and suggestions from my vocal food group, who meet at the library where I work,  little tips and tricks remembered when I head to local restaurants, all are stored in my increasing files and folders bursting from my larder cupboards.