Author Topic: Courgettes (Read 23164 times)

Piglottie · « **Reply #20 on:** July 17, 2005, 21:14:27 »

;D ;D ;D Svea - you give me hope. Thanks! ;D ;D ;D

wivvles · « **Reply #21 on:** July 17, 2005, 21:33:50 »

Tim - I picked one about that size today - about 4 inches in diameter. Thursday evening it was just bigger than a golf ball, so I didn't pick it - so I'll be checking more regularly from now one.

Strangely, that plant (which I planted in a hole in which I put three overripe bananas following a tip from on here) has sent out a trailing stem which I am training up a pole. There are at least another six courgettes forming on that shoot, plus another couple on the main stem. The other plant, that I planted at the same time (but with torn up comfrey leaves in the planting hole) has produced as many courgettes, but has formed a fairly compact bush.

Svea · « **Reply #22 on:** July 17, 2005, 21:47:30 »

how odd! i must have missed the banana tip. what does it add to the plant that it doesnt get otherwise, i wonder.....

shaolin101 · « **Reply #23 on:** July 17, 2005, 22:48:34 »

Tim, Not sure whether they were male or female (they are normally getting ready to open when i see them and by the next time i get there they have shrivelled)

Took the sign that flowers are growing as a good one though!

carloso · « **Reply #24 on:** July 18, 2005, 22:12:12 »

wow i read 62 cougettes off one plant im sad of course but maybe glad that only 2 out of 12 plants survived childhood !!

question is im growing round cougettes (i thought theyd be nice to stuff with rice, herby tom and cougette mixture)
at what roundness are they best at if to small will the be woody or will it mean i just do myself out of extra coiugette ? but then again it would be nice to serve as one to a plate nice portion size if you know what i mean lol

carl

Icyberjunkie · « **Reply #25 on:** July 18, 2005, 22:23:14 »

and who says size isn't important!!! ;)

Anyway, on size; I have a number of courgettes that have grown fine in length but up to 30% of the flower end has stayed around 1cm thick while the rest has grown normally. A bit like one of those long balloons not fully blown up.

Has anyone else experienced this? Is it down to watering - or lack of?

Iain

Mrs Ava · « **Reply #26 on:** July 18, 2005, 22:51:33 »

I think that is due to poor pollination....I think. I had a couple earlier on in the season that did that, but now they are all doing the business nice and evenly, and toooo fast!!!!

tim · « **Reply #27 on:** July 19, 2005, 05:06:48 »

Carloso - they say golfball upwards but, depending upon variety, I would be wary about too much 'up'!

dingerbell · « **Reply #28 on:** July 19, 2005, 09:45:10 »

I don't know about anyone else but I've got courgettes coming out of my ears!! I'm sure that every night someone is sneaking onto my plot and sticking extra courgettes on the plant!!
A superb recipe that freezes is Courgette Pasta Sauce. I've already got 10lb of it in the freezer and that represents 30lb of fresh courgettes. I hate to waste anything.
The recipe for 2 people:
Slug of Olive Oil
4 0z chopped Pancetta or smoked streaky bacon (omit if veggie)
2/3 cloves of garlic (I can't get enough)
1 medium Onion
4/6 Courgettes, finely shredded
Fresh Parmesan Regiano
Double Cream
Fresh Black Pepper

Heat oil in heavy duty frying pan and add chopped Pancetta or bacon and sizzle for 5 mins. Add chopped garlic and chopped onion and sweat off until just starting to colour. Add the shredded courgette and cook, constantly stirring until ALL the liquid has disappeared and the olive oil starts to appear in the bottom of the pan. The courgettes will now start to take on colour.
At this stage, allow to cool and freeze in containers.
To finish the dish, add small carton of double cream and heat till slightly thickened, add fresh black pepper and lots of freshly grated Parmesan.
I like this sauce served with "ribbed" Penne pasta as the sauce sticks nicely to it.
It's a heavenly supper dish. Enjoy :)

wardy · « **Reply #29 on:** July 19, 2005, 09:53:22 »

It is delish and a good way of using the glut. An Australian bloke on telly cooked loads of courgettes in quite a lot of oil in the bottom of a big frying pan and added anchovy fillets and stirred til they disappeared oh and some garlic. The oil forms the basis of the "sauce" which is why he used quite a lot. Stirred all the courgettes in and they cook down to a glutinous mass and then you stir that into the cooked pasta and eat :) Apparently you can do it with brocolli too :)

I have some balloon shaped courgettes too - they still taste just as good :)

dingerbell · « **Reply #30 on:** July 19, 2005, 12:25:39 »

Another fabulous, freezable recipe for courgettes is as per the Pasta Sauce recipe but add curry powder and a little Gram Flour to the mixture at the end , together with chopped fresh coriander and mint, omitting the cream and Parmesan, mould into patties and coat with egg and seasoned flour. Deep fry till golden and serve with spicy chutney or yogurt, mint and cucumber. They freeze perfectly. ;D

tim · « **Reply #31 on:** July 20, 2005, 08:50:36 »

dinger - "stirring until ALL the liquid has disappeared " - WHAT LIQUID??

ptennisnet · « **Reply #32 on:** July 20, 2005, 09:52:18 »

Try the roast garlic / courgette soup from one of the recent kitchen gardener mags. It's yummy and should freeze - I hope it does as I made a vat of it yesterday.

You can also use the biig 'uns from when you don't go down the plot for a week....

dingerbell · « **Reply #33 on:** July 20, 2005, 09:58:47 »

Quote from: tim on July 20, 2005, 08:50:36

dinger - "stirring until ALL the liquid has disappeared " - WHAT LIQUID??

Tim, when you start to saute the courgettes, they sweat like hell. You need to boil off this liquid to ensure your sauce isn't too wet. It won't stick to the pasta. The whole object is too reduce your shredded courgettes down to a sticky pulp. Less water.....more taste ;D

tim · « **Reply #34 on:** July 20, 2005, 12:26:18 »

Thanks for that - but not a drop of liquid!

So - it's now not a sauce but a ........??

dingerbell · « **Reply #35 on:** July 20, 2005, 13:11:19 »

Quote from: tim on July 20, 2005, 12:26:18

Thanks for that - but not a drop of liquid!

So - it's now not a sauce but a ........??

Looks OK, just add double cream, Parmesan and a twist of Black Pepper and Yum Yum :)
I get a lot of liquid because I cook in huge batches for freezing....Dinger

wivvles · « **Reply #36 on:** July 20, 2005, 13:14:17 »

Quote from: ptennisnet on July 20, 2005, 09:52:18

Try the roast garlic / courgette soup from one of the recent kitchen gardener mags. It's yummy and should freeze - I hope it does as I made a vat of it yesterday.

You can also use the biig 'uns from when you don't go down the plot for a week....

I made that for my MIL and myself yesterday - used the big round one that I picked at the weekend, weighed a pound. I actually used EJ's (?) roast garlic and marrow soup off Recipes 4 All from last year. Anyway it was bloody delicious and earned me top marks...

Svea · « **Reply #37 on:** July 20, 2005, 15:57:08 »

what time is tea, tim? :)

carloso · « **Reply #38 on:** July 20, 2005, 19:27:05 »

cheers tim

the type of courgette are Eight Ball F1 i have one already thats about tennis ball size so i may just have him for breakfast and chuck a poached egg inside of him !! once cooked

carloso · « **Reply #39 on:** July 20, 2005, 19:30:43 »

just another quick one whilst im thinking courgette

is it possible to save the seeds out the centre and use if so how are tghye saved any particular fashion ?

carl

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Author Topic: Courgettes (Read 23164 times)