Congratulations on your fine gaggle of courgettes

July 19, 2018 9:01 AM

I'm going to need courgette recipes.

Our courgettes plants were beaten down to nothing last year by evil slugs, so we overcompensated this year and now have 4 plants on the point of paying out. Bitter experience tells us this will make twice as much as we want. We will give some away but please let me have any favourite courgette recipes. Bonus points for anything that doesn't taste of courgette.

posted by biffa to Food & Drink (32 answers total)

I make these muffins:

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
2 cups grated zucchini
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 small package chocolate chips

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. (Or to make a cake bake for an hour.)


I also like to shred the zucchini and use it with ground meat to make patties/fritters. (Or without the ground meat, but usually I want more protein.)
posted by jeather at 9:07 AM on July 19, 2018

Best answer: I just recommended two cakes in a thread on MeFi that use courgettes (FYI to lookers-on - courgettes = zucchini).

* Chocolate Zucchini cake
* Zucchini Lemon Walnut Loaf Cake

I have also added them to the potato in a Spanish-style tortilla. That makes for an easy, inexpensive, nourishing dinner.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:07 AM on July 19, 2018

Zucchini bread! Although it "only" takes up two zukes per loaf.
posted by like_neon at 9:07 AM on July 19, 2018

Oh - there is a recipe I've made once that make these scone-ish things that use zucchini and a lot of cheddar cheese that went well; I'll try to look up that recipe in a cookbook at home.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:08 AM on July 19, 2018 [1 favorite]

Best answer: These fritters are also delicious.

As is this side dish that I have made many times.

I love her recipes, I would check out all her zucchini entries.
posted by like_neon at 9:10 AM on July 19, 2018 [3 favorites]

I just ate this Zucchini Bake for breakfast. This is the second time I've made a double batch in as many weeks because we love it so much. I like to add in some sweet Italian sausage as well! Our plant is also going bonkers this summer, so I am looking forward to eating this meal many times.
posted by chatongriffes at 9:13 AM on July 19, 2018

Best answer: This zucchini-rice gratin is delicious.
posted by nebulawindphone at 9:14 AM on July 19, 2018

Best answer: Previously (and quite recently).
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 9:21 AM on July 19, 2018 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I use zucchini to make lasagna in place of noodles; slice them thinly on a mandoline, then put the slices in a colander and shake some salt on each layer as you do so. Make a tomato and meat sauce, grate some mozzarella, I like to also mix some ricotta with an egg and some herbs for a second cheese layer. By the time this is all done, most of the extra moisture will have drained from the zucchini, so press dry between towels and then build a zucchini by layering meat sauce, zucchini, ricotta and mozzarella twice or thrice.
posted by Homeboy Trouble at 9:28 AM on July 19, 2018 [4 favorites]

Smitten Kitchen's summer squash pizza is very good.
posted by LizardBreath at 9:33 AM on July 19, 2018

Best answer: For an excellent soup that does not scream FULL OF ZUCCHINI but is: bouktouf from The Soup Peddler's Slow and Difficult Soups (this soup is neither slow nor difficult). Good hot or cold. Just made some this week with my abundant zucchini. My partner's a strict no cilantro person and I typically make it with mint or parsley or a mix instead and it's lovely.
posted by carrioncomfort at 9:50 AM on July 19, 2018 [1 favorite]

If you have access to some Korean ingredients you could do zucchini kimchi, which would taste powerfully of the delicious flavor paste and whatever level of fermentation you take it to, and not very much zucchini at all. I've had it two ways: sliced into half coins and probably fermented for a few weeks, and cut into very thin matchsticks and served practically fresh. I think if I were to make it myself I'd go with half coins but eat it way before it started to properly ferment.
posted by Mizu at 9:52 AM on July 19, 2018 [1 favorite]

Your best recipe: pick them really small. They're better that way.

The other one: pureed, in nicely spiced (cayenne) chicken stock (and a dash of cream).
posted by Namlit at 10:03 AM on July 19, 2018 [2 favorites]

Best answer: I saw this linked by Zoe Williams on The Guardian earlier today, and it sounds amazing: Madhur Jaffrey's Courgette Meatballs.
posted by ambrosen at 10:05 AM on July 19, 2018 [2 favorites]

I made this soup last night. It's a keeper, in my book.
posted by brianogilvie at 10:09 AM on July 19, 2018

Best answer: Ottolenghi did a selection of courgette recipes for the Guardian a while back, and I'll be making the cobbler again tomorrow night - it's superb summertime comfort food!
posted by greenish at 10:13 AM on July 19, 2018 [1 favorite]

All Smitten Kitchen zucchini recipes are great! Especially fritters
posted by mmf at 10:21 AM on July 19, 2018

Our go-to zucchini frittata comes from Cucina Fresca. Grate the zucchini, salt and weight. Squeeze out extra moisture the sautee with garlic to drive off more moisture. When cool combine with eggs, cook in a skillet until set then run under the broiler to brown the top. This is very good at room temperature and leftover, also for a picnic. The recipes I see online omit one or both drying steps and I would expect them to be watery.
posted by Botanizer at 11:36 AM on July 19, 2018

Best answer: Also from Ottolenghi, this recipe for turkey and courgette burgers is one of our absolute favourites.

(the sumac sauce in that recipe is also amazing and goes with absolutely everything)
posted by parm at 11:51 AM on July 19, 2018

Response by poster: Oh Exceptional_Hubris, I did look but must have gone straight past that, the only similar one I saw was from 2004. I can see some of these coming up at the weekend most definitely.

chatongriffes: I like the idea of the bake but that sort of biscuit is pretty alien here and the mix isn't available locally. Does anyone have a good recipe for the bake element that would work well with this? (I am sure I can google lots of basic recipes for it.)
posted by biffa at 12:06 PM on July 19, 2018

el_lupino makes a large fritterish thing we call crab fakes. He's from Maryland, home of the crab cake, but is generally vegetarian. The internet seems to indicate that perhaps you can get the crucial Old Bay seasoning in the UK, so here's what he says about how to make them.

Crab Fakes:

3 cups shredded zucchini
1 T salt

1 egg, beaten
1 cup panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs, whatever)
2 T mayonnaise
1 T stone ground mustard
2 T Old Bay seasoning

1. By far, the most important thing is getting as much moisture out of the zucchini as possible. Shred it finely, and toss with the salt. Place the salted mix in sieve or fine mesh colander and press firmly for several minutes. You can also take fistfuls and squeeze them, then press again. Do this until little or no moisture comes out any longer. (The best version I ever had of this, I did this first step one night, then left the mix in the fridge and pressed it again the next day before proceeding.)

2. Beat the egg. Mix everything together in a large bowl. (Consistency is the most important thing. The mix should hold its shape reasonably well - if you roll a ball in your hand, it will stay that shape and not droop.)

3. Form handfuls into balls in your hands - bigger than a golf ball, but not quite as big as a tennis ball. Flatten them out to a more patty/disc shape before cooking.

4. Pour about 3/4 of an inch worth of oil into a pot. Heat it to 375*F (190*C).

5. Add each crab fake to the oil, two at a time if you can get away with it. Nudge them just a little with the spatula after a minute just to make sure they're not sticking. After about 2 minutes, the first side should be brown; gently flip and do the other side.

6. Eat 'em by themselves, or on a bun.
posted by jocelmeow at 12:51 PM on July 19, 2018 [3 favorites]

Oh I just remembered, I also made this courgette lasagne twice and can vouch for its yumminess!
posted by like_neon at 12:53 PM on July 19, 2018

Best answer: Pickle them! Lots of options, from standard dill pickles to spicy kimchi options. It's a good option if you have a sudden glut and don't want to eat them all at once.

Another variation on zucchini fritters is mücver. There are loads of recipes online; most include a lot of dill (which I'm not a huge fan of) but they're basically zucchini latkes, and you can add some potato if you want them to be starchier.

My favorite zucchini recipe is Turkish/Syrian style zucchini stuffed with rice and ground meat--it's a bit time-consuming to make but delicious. Here's one recipe but there are plenty of others if you search kabak dolması or koosa mahshi. Add fresh herbs and some spices (cumin, allspice, paprika, etc) to the stuffing mix if you want. You can also do a vegetarian version stuffed with rice and pine nuts, or with bulgur, tomato, and onion. Be careful not to injure yourself if you're using a knife to core the squash, though.
posted by karayel at 1:11 PM on July 19, 2018 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Slice them into thick strips lengthwise, dress with a little good olive oil, lemon juice & garlic, then cook over a barbeque until they're nice and browned. Dress with a little more olive oil and lemon, and maybe sprinkle over some crumbled salty cheese (feta is good).

I do this as a side pretty much every time I cook on the barbeque - it's very nice.

I've had bhajis made with courgette in a restaurant recently, and they were pleasant. I don't have a recipe - though guess you could sub for onion in an onion bhaji provided you salt and wring out the moisture first, I'd imagine.
posted by bifter at 1:27 PM on July 19, 2018

I grate 4 or 5 medium ones, mix them with some fajita or taco seasoning and cook them down in a pan with some oil. You can make quesadillas with them or use in tacos. The nice thing is I freeze individual portions in rolled up sandwich bags and put all the small bags in a bigger freezer bag. They keep really well.
posted by stray thoughts at 2:29 PM on July 19, 2018 [1 favorite]

Slice thin, saute in olive oil with some onions, garlic, and a generous splash of soy sauce. Simple and delicious.
posted by wanderingmind at 3:13 PM on July 19, 2018

Best answer: Zucchini, chicken* and pearl barley soup

3 zucchini/courgette, cut in half lengthways then into decent slices
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stick, diced
1 fennel bulb, quartered and sliced thinly
1/3 cup pearl barley
1-2 cloves garlic (depends on preference) crushed
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
2-3 bay leaves
3 stock cubes (vege or chicken on pref)
4 - 6 cups boiling water
*optional: 1 chicken breast, thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste
Reserve fronds from fennel to garnish the bowls.

Fry off coriander and fennel seeds in some oil until fragrant (be careful not to burn them), add crushed garlic and stir for a minute or two. Add sliced fennel, carrot and celery and stir for about 5 mins until softened. Add bay leaves and pearl barley, stir, add stock (I make 2 cups with all the 3 cubes then add additional 2 cups boiling water to start) and bring to boil. Turn down to simmer for 30mins to cook barley. Taste and see if needs salt/pepper. Add if required.

While on simmer prepare chicken and zucchini, once 30min simmer is up, check if additional water is needed (sometimes 1-2 cups) to loosen it up and then add chicken and cook further 5 mins. In final 3 mins add your zucchini! This keeps the zucchini fresh tasting and not overcooked. Taste and add salt/pepper as needed.

Serve hot with fennel fronds and a glug of olive oil as garnish. BOOM. Delish.

**I've made this vegetarian and not and have enjoyed it both ways. Just don't chew the bay leaves when they appear in your bowl.
posted by latch24 at 8:20 PM on July 19, 2018

I love this Ottolenghi recipe which uses 3 courgettes. The fried courgette slices taste really good.
posted by lizabeth at 2:21 AM on July 20, 2018

Response by poster: latch24: we have got enormous fennel fronds in our garden at the mo that we were trying to think about what to do with. Plus lots of bay leaves. Will def be doing that soup.
posted by biffa at 7:58 AM on July 20, 2018 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Popping back in! The biscuitiness is really for cohesion in my opinion and adds a little bit of bready flavor, but if you left it out entirely and just used eggs, this would be a nice sort of frittata. If you do like the hint of carbs, but don't have Bisquick readily available, you can substitute the following:

This recipe is equivalent to 1 cup of biscuit Mix.

1 cup flour.
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder.
1/4 teaspoon salt.
1 tablespoon shortening, olive oil, or melted butter.

(I would also like to report that I am eating my zucchini bake again right now. Apparently I read AskMe over breakfast with some regularity!)
posted by chatongriffes at 8:34 AM on July 20, 2018

mods forgive me but this comment is entirely to say that i expected a group of young girl corgies and i am disappointed by all this zucchini
posted by skrozidile at 8:43 AM on July 20, 2018 [3 favorites]

Best answer: I don't have a recipe, but a delicious salad thing my husband learned about from the chef of a fancy restaurant here in Greece:

• first make a dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, and minced or crushed garlic and let it sit a bit for the garlic to infuse

• very briefly scald your zucchini / courgettes in boiling water (basically you want them al dente – not snapping crisp, but not mushy) and, when cool, slice in rounds of about 1/4 inch (or ultimately whatever thickness pleases you most – it doesn't matter). If the zucchini are large, you'll probably want to cut these slices in half, but we usually use small zucchinis for this salad, if available.

• slice up some avocado into bite size pieces and add to the zucchini

• season with salt and pepper to taste and toss and mix with your drizzled olive, lemon, & garlic dressing

• finally, grate some cheese over the salad. We use Greek Graviera (or Kasseri, or Kefalotyri), but if you can't find that, Swiss / Emmantaler would be nice, and so would Mozzarella or Provolone (maybe strips would be easier with these), or Parmesan or Pecorino

Everything is to taste! Amount of lemon juice vs oil, amount of zucchini vs avocado, how much garlic in the dressing – just whatever seems good to you.
posted by taz at 9:28 AM on July 25, 2018