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Courgette / Zucchini

Courgette (often called zucchini) is a member of the cucumber family and is actually classified as a "summer squash".

Again, it's another one of those vegetables often tortured by ancient school dinners...

So if you've had some bad courgette experiences or just fancy giving them another go, here are some interesting facts and delicious recipes.

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Courgette recipes
(we currently have 13 recipes for courgette)

Courgette - Zucchini Recipes


About Courgette

The courgette / zucchini can vary in colour from an intensely deep green to a bright yellow, depending on the variety. They can vary from carrot-sized to near marrow-sized.

It's a good source of potassium and vitamin A, as well as being low in calories.

They are in season from about May to July / August.

The problem that veg box schemes and allotment growers alike have is that you always end up with a glut.

The courgettes need picking as soon as they're ripe, or they rot quickly on the plant. But they don't keep long once they're picked, either. So you either have to eat them all day for what feels like every meal, or find creative ways of preserving them. (See courgette soup!)

Courgette FlowersIn Italy, they don't just eat the courgette, they also eat the flowers. These are delicious in salads or even in tempura-style batter and deep-fried.
Size of courgettes






Yellow Courgettes


How To Choose

Choose courgettes that are still firm, rather than rubbery.

If you need to keep them for a few days, choose those without blemishes.


How To Store

Courgettes are quite delicate and need careful handling. If they get cut or bruised, they can go off quickly.

Stored in the fridge in a paper bag, they will keep for up to a week. But check them every few days and use them sooner if they're starting to get soft.


How To Use

Wash the courgette. There's no need to peel (unless it's not organic, in which case you might want to).

You can slice them raw in sticks for crudites or slices for salads.

To cook them, saute them in a little butter and olive oil until just soft and lightly browned.

They work well in tomato-based sauces.

If trying to get them past a fussy eater, courgette soup can be a good option. For our toddler, we have even grated lightly sauted courgette into fresh bread dough and made it into breadbuns. He couldn't get enough of them!
 
 
 

Suggested Recipes

 
 
Aubergine & Courgette Bake This is a great way of using up spare courgettes and aubergines, towards the end of the veg box's week. And it's so easy!

Courgette Soup What? Courgette soup? Are you sure? Yes! Sceptical at first, but now converted. Amazingly simple and a great way of using and preserving a glut of courgettes.

Courgette With Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce This recipe is a scrummy way of enjoying courgettes - particulary if you fancy a change. The sun-dried tomatoes and wholegrain mustard bring out the sunshine flavour of the summer veggies.

Early Courgette Salad Early courgettes are packed with flavour and are a real treat, whereas later in the season you may be fed up with them! So here’s a recipe to help you enjoy them with in-season broccoli.

Lemon Butter Courgettes This is a delicious recipe for using early-season courgettes - packed with flavour.

Secret Vegetable Pasta This pasta recipe is a great way of using up seasonal veg box leftovers. And it's a great way of sneaking in some extra veggies without any fussy eaters noticing! This version uses runner beans and courgettes.

Spring Pasta Cooking spring / early summer vegetables lightly and serving them with pasta is a delicious way to enjoy the first signs of summer. This recipe is quick and easy and only uses one pan – always a bonus...

Spring Vegetable Fricassee This dish is easy to make and browning the finished dish under a grill turns it into something special. You can use a variety of seasonal veggies, so try out whatever’s around. The vegetables suggested here are just a starting point!

Thai Style Squash Curry This curry is easy to make and pretty quick. Just make the paste, chop the veggies and cook it all in a wok (or large frying pan) with the coconut milk. Works well with pumpkin, too.

Three Bean Summer Soup This is a delicious summer soup. Lighter than those of winter, it makes the most of the new season’s vegetables, whilst still filling you up and being wonderfully warming. You can use haricot beans or butter beans for this recipe, depending which you prefer. The main thing is to stick to what’s in season with the vegetables. That way they’ll be packed with flavour – and good for you too!

Vegetable Tempura Although it's deep-fried, as long as the oil is hot enough and you drain the tempura after cooking, it's not that bad...! Quick, delicious and a nice change from sticking your veg in a curry!

Warm Summer Courgette & Runner Bean Salad With Artichoke Hearts This delicious summer salad is best served warm. The courgettes and runner beans take on a buttery flavour, enhanced by the creaminess of the artichoke hearts.

Yellow Courgette And Mange Tout Bring out the buttery flavour of these delicious spring and summer vegetables with this simple recipe.

 

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