How to make courgettes nice?

[ThisIsNotARealAvo]

I have never really liked courgettes as I find them too watery and there's something about the taste I'm not crazy about. However, we have been given some from my parents garden plus they are so healthy and cheap I'd really like some ways of making them nice if anyone has any good recipes?

I can usually get hold of any ingredients and eat pretty much everything else.

@Wannabefarmer

Cut them into small chips, dip them in batter and fry in hot oil. Remove from oil and add salt, pepper, oregano and grated parmesan cheese. Serve with tzatziki dipping sauce 😋

OMG that sounds delicious!

Personally I'd make a cake.

By the way those grated courgettes are really nice stirred through some cooked pasta with a scattering of pine nuts & grated parmesan

You could make some courgette and feta fritters. They are divine. We had Nigella's version last night www.nigella.com/recipes/courgette-fritters but there are loads of recipes, Delia has a recipe you bake in the oven.

I love courgette. How did I not know you could eat them raw? Game changer!

Lots of good ideas here:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/3984604-Help-courgette-recipes-please

Cut them thinly, dry in kitchen paper, coat in flour and fry in garlic oil. Add salt and a dip as they will be lovely and crunchy.

In Italy they chop them into ribbons and bake them in layers with a little cream and a topping of grated mozzarella. Seriously good.

I pan fry or roast them. I have made a courgette chocolate cake but it received mixed reviews from the family.

Now, what to do with the 3 courgettes that quickly grew into marrows in my garden

To use up lots in one go, make spicy courgette soup. I lightly fry some powdered cumin, coriander snd turmeric in the base of a large saucepan, then add a load of roughly chopped courgettes and a vegetable stock gel or cube. Barely cover with water (the courgettes release lots of water when cooking and you don’t want the soup too thin) bring to boil, turn down and simmer for 20 mins. Cool a little then liquidise. It keeps in the fridge for 3-4 days, and heats up in the microwave when needed. Yummy for lunch with crusty bread and some cheese or cold meat.

Ratatouille or courgette fries

Courgette fritters.
Mix up a batter, add garlic and mint, add grated courgettes.
Fry in hot olive oil, use a dessert spoon, drop a dollop into the oil so it spreads into a round shape, let it cook until the bottom is brown, turn over and cook the other side.
Drain on kitchen roll.
Serve with a yogurt, cucumber and mint dip.
Try as a snack or an alternative to rice or potatoes, like chicken, salad and courgette fritter, or a lamb or pork chop.
Delicious
Ps I dont like courgettes as other way

Put diced courgette, pepper, tomato, onion & salt, pepper & paprika to taste in a foil parcel & bbq for 15/20 min. It's lovely.

IpanemaSunshine I'd do stuffed marrow but if you're not keen on original sausage meat stuffing I'd use rice, small amount of passata, garlic, onion, some chilli stir fry quickly then add crispy fried bacon lardons & bake for 30 min in the marrow & a sprinkle of cheese on top for the last 15 minutes (this also work as a stuffing for peppers)

IMO they’re a pretty tasteless filler, but useful as such. The other day I put one (diced small) in a pasta sauce with tomatoes, onion, green pepper, celery, garlic and fresh basil.

To use it up I’ve also added one, again diced small, to a spag Bol sauce, but I always add a lot of veg to that anyway - less meat needed.

You could make a big batch of something similar and freeze it for ‘ready’ meals in future.,

Ratatouille (add tomatoes, garlic, onion, aubergine) This freezes well too.

Stir fry with other veg

Courgette fritters

Stuff them (lots of recipes online) and bake them

Roast them with other Mediterranean veg

Or simply sauté them gently in butter with plenty of salt and pepper

You can't make them nice. They definitely fall into the category of things that you eat because you're a grown up and they're healthy, not because they're nice.

That said, now that I am a grown up, my preferred way to eat them is raw in ribbons dressed with some oil, chilli and lemon. Can chuck a few olives in as well if you like.

Cut them in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and fill the space you've just made with bolognese. Top with grated cheese and stick them in the oven for half an hour. Delicious!

I love courgettes! Like marrow too but such a faff to prep .Their little sisters are much easier!I like them on pasta with grated cheese and black pepper too yum!

I personally find putting them in the bin is the best way to eat them.

Courgette Pie - Hugh Fernely-W

Courgette fritters are lovely. You grate the courgette then wrap it in a tea towel and squeeze the moisture out, then mix with flour, eggs, Parmesan, salt and pepper. Then fry. Good hot or cold.
Another favourite is sliced and roast with lemon zest and pine nuts.

The nicest way I've had them recently is raw, peeled into ribbons and then rolled into tubes and filled with lemon and herb ricotta. If you lay the courgette ribbons in olive oil for a couple of minutes it makes them pliable.

Nigella Lawson has a lovely courgette cake recipe too.

Try cutting them in half, scooping out the middle and then instead filling it with tomato puree, sweetcorn, cheese and herbs. It is like a healthy pizza!

Use a veg peeler to cut them into v thin ribbons and griddle them so they are floppy and stripy (that spray oil is useful for this), then pile them up and squeeze and zest a lemon over them with some extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper - you can serve warm as a vegetable or leave to get cold as a salad.

This is amazing (I often omit the chickpeas)
www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/roast-chicken-peppers-feta