Allotments 4 All

Had a go at the Courgette & Roast Garlic soup recipe in this month's Kitchen Garden magazine.

Yum. Very tasty. The roasted garlic gives a nice sweetness (and it's less pungent). Freezable too. One of many courgette recipes I'll need this year if my six plants keep producing at the rate they are at the moment.

Courgette and Slow Roasted Garlic Soup

5 courgettes, sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic in their skin
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (I grated it freshly)
1 tblspn olive oil
750ml stock (I used vegetable stock)
salt and pepper to taste

• Roast garlic in skin with a little oil on a low heat (150C, 300F, gas 2) for 30 mins.
• While garlic roasts heat remaining oil in large saucepan, add onion and celery and soften for 2 minutes, then add courgettes and nutmeg and cook, stirring, for a further 5 minteus or so.
• Remove garlic from oven and peel, add to pan along with stock and simmer for at least 20 minutes, until all ingredients have softened.
• Blend to semi-smooth consistency (not too much).
  Season to taste and serve.

NB: if you're not using the oven for something else, garlic can be 'roasted' in 1 tblspn of olive oil a thick based pan over a low heat

Mmmmmmmmmm   sounds good!  Thanks!

Yup, I have a jug full of good chook stock in the fridge and was planning to make this very soup.  So it was tasty huh?  And I can use up some courgettes, thank goodness!  ;D

Very tasty. The nutmeg really made it - I would never have thought of using nutmeg with courgettes.

Just to report in, made this very soup today, and just had a bowl full with some lovely crunchy bread, and it is DELISH!  I was amazed how just a couple of roasted garlic could flavour the entire soup, and as you say, the nutmeg really did work.  And a nice big tub full going into the freezer!  Five down, leaving me 18 more in the fridge.  :o

Thank you Speedy...I'm gonna try this one!!!!

I'm considering doubling or tripling the recipe to make a serious dent in my courgette mountain.

Can you freeze courgettes as they are (or sliced)? Do they need blanching first?

Good question which I'm glad you asked cos I don't know either.  I will try this soup as I'm trying to feed my OH but he doesn't like courgettes very much which is unfortunate as I have armfuls which must be consumed at all costs.  I am resorting to disguising them so soup tonight it is  ;D     Courgette pasta sauce tomorrow  :)

OUr farm shop sells them griddled and frozen, however, I have never tried them so couldn't vouch for how they thaw.

Buuuuurrrrrp!  :o

Me & Mrs TimJ can now confirm the soup is super!!   ;D

Overdid the garlic though!!!

Thanks again!

Thanks for the excellent recipe. Don't cook much myself - I usually grow it and my wife cooks it! I have been abandoned for a few days and cooked this wonderful soup - still have masses of courgettes left, not sure if I am brave enough to try the courgette cake.

Quote from: Mothy on July 20, 2005, 21:53:17

Overdid the garlic though!!!

No such thing - looks like we are having this tomorrow thanks to the generosity of my Dad whose courgettes are doing much better than mine - not sure he is organic though.

Hope I produce enough courgettes to make this recipe - after I

have made Tim's courgette bread recipe. Here's hoping...

Debs.

I'm sure you soon will,  Debs, and you'll look back at that comment and laugh.  ;)

I have tried to freeze sliced raw courgette.
It was disaster when they were thawed.  :-[
Not recommend anyone. But I wonder blanching works or not??

I always slice then blanch mine for 1 minute before freezing if that helps.  Seem to keep well and come out with good flavour, not a lot lost in the process.

I used to blanch & freeze courgettes but to be honest they were only useful for ratatuoille or stuff like that. Now I just freeze them in dishes like that - cut out the middleman!