My vegetable plot has not been quite so successful this year as in the past. My big trip to New Zealand in the spring meant I was late planting and the awful weather followed by lack of time over the summer months has meant it has all been a bit haphazard. But I have managed to grow courgettes... lots and lots of courgettes.
For some reason, totally unknown to me, I thought it might be fun to grow courgettes in different shapes and colours this year, but the round ones have sometimes been hard to spot whilst still a managable size. I currently have one the size of a football that I intend to carve like a pumpkin! But there has still been an endless supply... with which to make frittata...
Our favourite courgette filo pie (from Hugh's fabulous veg book)...
A newly discovered recipe this summer (thank you Kim) for a courgette lasagne... very quick, very easy and also very tasty... this has been made almost every week...
and there have even been courgette chocolate cakes.
But finally as I settle into a comfortable Autumn/Winter Sunday routine of homemade soup, bread and cake for lunch, today I have used the last of the home grown courgettes in a carrot and courgette soup.
And in case you ask, the cake was a lemon and thyme loaf (From the Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days)... using home grown lemon thyme.
The other thing I managed to grow were some rather splendid squash... raised from seeds extracted from a squash in my Abel & Cole box several months ago. Using another brilliant recipe from Hugh's book (this really is my all time favourite cook book.... everything I've made from it is wonderful) for squash stuffed with leeks, they made a fantastic supper last night.
Eaten off trays whilst we watched Strictly!
Ha ha, I had my tea off a tray last night too while I watched Strictly (Louis Smith is my favourite, I loved his Dirty Dancing)! ;)
ReplyDeleteOne of these Sundays I'm going to turn up at your house for a soup and cake lunch, they always sound so good! ;)
I do like the sound of a courgette lasagne!
Vivienne x
I've recently discovered your blog and love all the beautiful embroidery. I also grow a lot of our own veg and you are right - Hugh's book is wonderful!
ReplyDeleteCourgette and brie soup is my all time favourite Saturday lunch.
ReplyDeleteThe food looks lovely as always. We had our dinner on trays last night too, love Strictly!
ReplyDeleteIt all looks and sounds delicious. Apart from the tomatoes which were in the greenhouse so safe from the awful weather, I gave up after a mediocre crop of broad beans.
ReplyDeleteI love Hugh's Veg book too and I think I'm getting his new one for Christmas.
I nurtured my courgettes and squash daily from April onwards - resulting in:---- not one single edible vegetable in sight.I pulled up the plants at the end of September still with the original seed leaves on. My worst year ever for veg. Never mind I can enjoy your wonderful pics and cooking gratuitously.
ReplyDeleteOH WOW THEY ALL LOOK WONDERFUL! x
ReplyDeleteYour veg plot is doing much better than ours, and I haven't been to the other side of the world and back! We've had a few of the yellow courgettes, but most of our soil's goodness has gone into one enormous green torpedo that's still lurking out there - the one that got away!
ReplyDeleteA shame you have no lurking green torpedoes like Iz as I was going to suggest that you make marrow rum. We grew an enormous one last year and ended up with two years worth of marrow rum and so didn't bother with courgettes this year - good job as it was probably too cold to get much else than male flowers from them. Never mind we will grow some next year and maybe I will try some of those recipes you suggest, if one of my kids will buy me the book you mentioned for Christmas. :)
ReplyDeleteThat food looks scrumptious!!
ReplyDeleteWhere do you live? I'll be round for lunch on Tuesday, if that's alright with you!
(ps marrow and ginger jam!!)
Yum! I adore courgettes! That soup looks delicious :D
ReplyDeleteMy veg this year was a handful of tomatos and oodles of chives. The courgettes were munched to oblivion very early on.
ReplyDeleteYour.courgettes look great none of our vegetables.were very good the year,our only real success were the small tomatoes.. Th herbs were good and the artichokes superb but there is a limit to the number of globe arctichokes the digestion can take
ReplyDeleteAnnya
Your.courgettes look great none of our vegetables.were very good the year,our only real success were the small tomatoes.. Th herbs were good and the artichokes superb but there is a limit to the number of globe arctichokes the digestion can take
ReplyDeleteAnnya
I think most people have had a tough year on their veg patch. I only grew tomatoes and from six plants, yielded enough for a couple in some salads and with steak and one batch of roasted tomato soup! Ah well!
ReplyDeleteBigger plans next year for me though -- am re-taking up my allotment plot : )
OMG Gina - I'm starving after looking at all those lovely photos. You've done yourself proud there, especially with the current growing climate such as wash out. The stuffed squash and courgette lasagne are definitely ones to try.
ReplyDeleteWow, what a splendid collection of foody goodies, love the courgette Fiilo pie, didn't know you could make so many things with them. We'll have our own next year, we've just got an allotment.
ReplyDeleteCourgette & Chocolate cakes and Lemon & Thyme sounds yummy.
ReplyDeleteI bought Hugh's book after your recommendations and it is one of my absolute favourites. Every recipe seems to be colourful and gorgeous. I don't seem to be quite so productive in the number of dishes, but I am not surrounded by quite as many hungry menfolk as you are!
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