Home and garden

The easy veg that gives, and gives, and gives

By James Ashford
July 03, 2009

The courgette season is upon us. When I was a nipper I used to dread the sight of a courgette.

I was a child of the 1970s and my mum used to cook them half to death. As a result it was many years before I could look at a courgette with relish.

Things changed when I started growing them myself.

Who could fail to love a plant which is so reliable and so productive?

They are tough enough to withstand attacks by slugs and snails, untroubled by blackfly which seem to be everywhere this year and as long as you keep picking them, the courgettes just keep on coming.

Over the years I have actually grown to quite like courgettes and now I even relish the first of the season.

I have tried all sorts of ways of cooking them over the years. Boiling them is generally a disaster. They turn to unappetising mush. Steaming is a good deal better as long as you don’t overdo it. They are not too bad stuffed and baked and they make excellent soup. Mrs Go Organic discovered an excellent Indian dish called sabzi which adds a little variation.

When they are young enough you can even make thin ribbons out of them with a potato peeler and eat them raw in salads.

To my mind they are best fried in a little butter.

You may wonder why I offer the culinary advice.

It is because if you grow your own courgettes you will have so many to eat that you will need a little inspiration. They are prolific.

One year I had six plants on my allotment and I had so many courgettes that I started bringing them into work. At first grateful colleagues gladly took them off my hands but after a few weeks even their enthusiasm waned. Eyes would be averted and no thank-yous mumbled each time I walked into the newsroom with a fresh picking.

Then I stumbled on the answer to the courgettes conundrum and that is simply to pick them when they are tiny – no thicker than your thumb. They taste sweeter, they’re easier to carry home and they don’t take over the kitchen.

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Just a litle tip about courgettes, Courgettes are at their peak during late spring, to keep plants productive you need to harvest courgettes about three times a week at the height of the season, always use a sharp knife to cut the fruits from the plant. If you are tempted to try to twist or pull the fruit off, you will invariably damage the entire plant. The correct size to pick depends on variety, but as a rule, harvest courgettes when they are 10cm (4in).with smooth, unblemished skins.Very large courgettes can be tough and bitter. Use a sharp knife to sever the fruit from the plant. Courgettes are best eaten fresh,they can be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to four days. Courgettes don’t freeze well – because they turn mushy on thawing. Instead of freezing a courgette ragout, blend it to produce a smooth sauce, and then freeze in portions. Thaw and heat the sauce in a pan before tossing with pasta (a great way to secretly feed veg to your kids.