One (or two) courgette dinners

I'm back at my parents' for a few days, cat (and house) sitting whilst they're away. At this time of year, that can mean only one thing: courgette flowers for dinner. I tried to grow my own plant this year but it remains a scrawny little runt, and I'm beginning to doubt that it will ever produce anything edible.

So I seized the opportunity for some courgette consumption tonight with a homegrown two-course dinner. Either one of these dishes, on its own with a salad or a pudding (or both) would easily make a good dinner. I ate both.


Stuffed courgette flowers

You can find a million recipes for stuffed courgette flowers on t'internet, so for some time I doubted the need to give you one at all. I'd also encourage you to experiment with various different fillings until you find your favourite. That said, I'll always go for the near-instant herb and cheese mixtures over risotto (who ever has leftovers when they make risotto?) or crab, which I tend not to have hanging around in my fridge waiting for a courgette flower to blossom.

Here's my favourite combo:

2 courgette flowers

3 tbs grated parmesan
grated zest of half a lemon, plus a teeny squeeze of juice
1 tbs finely chopped mint

1 tbs cornflour
1 egg white

Combine the parmesan, lemon zest, and mint, adding just enough lemon juice to get it into a sticky paste. Very, very delicately open up the courgette flowers and, using a teaspoon, slide the stuffing in. Push the petals back together then twist them together at the top to seal in the stuffing.

In a bowl large enough to fit both stuffed flowers, whisk together the cornflour and egg white. Dip the flowers in and gently turn with your hands to get them coated all over.

Heat a generous layer of oil in a frying pan and heat until a spot of batter, dripped in, sizzles immediately. Place the flowers in. They'll need turning round probably twice, to get all sides crispy - they tend to need two minutes per side but just check and flip when the batter gets golden.

Remove to a piece of kitchen roll to drain, then serve. Best eaten with fingers.


Roasted courgette and feta

I've recently twigged that several supermarkets (well, Sainsbury's and Waitrose, at least) do half-size tins of tomatoes. What fabulous news for single cooks! No more half open tins growing new life forms at the back of the fridge.

1 large (or two smaller) courgette
small tin tomatoes
100g feta

Slice the courgette into thick rounds, toss with a drizzle of oil, and roast for 20 minutes at 220 degrees until starting to brown round the edges. Tip in the tin of tomatoes and crumble over the feta. Return to the oven for a further 10 minutes, or until the feta is starting to brown.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly. Serve with crusty bread for dunking, and maybe a few salad leaves.