At some stage over what remains of the
summer, a friend will drop in with a slightly desperate look in their eye. They
will ask you how you are and there will be small talk as you wait for the
kettle to boil. The friend will be clutching (but studiously ignoring) a
mysterious newspaper-wrapped parcel and you’ll frown and wonder if they bring
it everywhere with them.
Halfway through a pot of tea, the friend will suddenly ‘remember’ the
mysterious parcel and casually mumble through a mouthful of chocolate biscuit
crumbs: “Oh, by the way, I brought you some courgettes, fresh from my
garden.” If you haven’t got a courgette plant churning out the little blighters
almost by the minute, accept gratefully and make this light, summery soup. If
you have got a courgette plant, you’ll almost certainly produce a
newspaper-wrapped parcel of your own as the friend takes their leave…
 |
| The friend will be clutching a mysterious newspaper-wrapped parcel... |
For 3-4
servings of light summery soup you will need…
25g butter (or 1 tablespoon of extra virgin
olive oil)
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon of finely grated lemon zest
500g courgettes, sliced
1 litre of well-flavoured chicken or vegetable stock
1 tablespoon of very finely chopped fresh mint
Melt the butter (or heat the olive oil) in a medium saucepan. Add the
onion and lemon zest and cook gently without colouring for 8 - 10 minutes or
until translucent. Add the sliced courgettes, followed by the stock. Simmer gently
for about 10 minutes or until the courgette is soft.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add in
the fresh mint and blend until you’ve turned the vegetables into a smooth
liquid – a stick blender is the perfect tool for this. Taste and add salt and
pepper only if necessary.
Serve it just as it is, or with a sprinkling of fresh herbs and/or a swirl of cream.
OK, that's 3 courgettes taken care of. Only another 7 to go...
Serve it just as it is, or with a sprinkling of fresh herbs and/or a swirl of cream.
OK, that's 3 courgettes taken care of. Only another 7 to go...
...What’s your favourite recipe – savoury or
sweet - for making a crop of courgettes vanish?