Nowadays we are subject to constant advice from doctors, scientists, celebrity chefs and allsorts of other ‘experts’ about our diet. Whatever our gender, age, weight or family history the ‘guidelines’ seem to change every day.
As a champion of local produce I do have to agree with one thing which all these experts seem to agree on. As Jamie Oliver says: “It’s a really good idea to buy food that’s in season whenever you can.” Here, here Jamie! Not only does it taste so much better, it’s better for the environment and often cheaper to buy than out of season produce. Better still, for the green-fingered amongst us, Grow Your Own ensures you get the just picked taste for less money.
I grow my own and am enjoying a productive season this year. Somehow I seem to have avoided the slug and snail problems that some friends and family have had. The milder winter has definitely brought everything forward a month or so too. I now have so many courgettes, runner beans and tomatoes to get through (the picture on this post shows just one day’s harvest)! I am losing hours trawling the recipe books to find innovative ways to use or store them. For a couple of weeks now I have been trying various recipes out and taking some less than perfect pictures. I thought I would share six delicious recipes for you to try if you are facing the same challenge!
Courgette Recipes
I grow two varieties of courgettes (Striato D’Italia and Black Beauty) and a summer squash (Sunburst). These I grew from seed sown in April and have been harvesting since mid July – a little earlier than usual. My other half isn’t the biggest fan of courgette but will eat it if he must. I do however have to get creative when cooking it and simply steaming is a definite no! I have found a number of recipes to liven up courgette as a side dish but the two I have chosen to share are not for side dishes. One is soup, the other is cake! I use a mixture of courgettes and summer squash in these recipes.
Curried Courgette Soup from “100 Best Fresh Soups”
If you want to freeze this soup, in my experience it is better to freeze after stage 3 and add the cream to the defrosted and reheated courgette mixture before serving.
Serves 4
- 2 tsp butter
- 1 large onion, finely choped
- 900g/2Ib courgettes sliced
- 450ml / 16 fl oz chicken or vegetable stock (freshly made is best)
- 1 tsp curry powder (you can safely double this without making it overpowering)
- 125ml / 4fl sour cream (I use reduced fat creme fraiche which works just as well)
- salt and pepper
1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about three minutes until it begins to soften.
2. Add the courgettes, stock and curry powder, along with a large pinch of salt if using unsalted stock. Bring the soup to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and cook gently for about 25 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
3. Allow the soup to cool slightly, then transfer to a blender or use a hand blender to process until just smooth.
4. Stir in the soured cream and reheat gently over a low heat until just hot (do not boil). Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed.
5. Ladle in to warmed bowls, garnish with a swirl of soured cream and serve.
Courgette Cake recipe from “It’s Raining Plums”
I think this cake is delicious as it is, but I used half of the amount of oil and it was still perfectly moist due to the water content in the courgettes. I am sure the spices, orange, raisins and walnuts could be used in different quantities or omitted all together for those that like to experiment or aren’t keen on any of these ingredients.
- 225g/8oz caster sugar
- 175g/6oz soft brown sugar
- 350g/12oz plain flour
- 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp salt
- 225ml / 8 fl oz sunflower oil (I used half of this amount)
- 1 tbsp vanilla essence
- 3 eggs
- 225g / 8oz courgettes, grated
- 200g / 7oz raisins
- 100g / 4 oz chopped walnuts
- 1 tbsp grated orange rind
1. Sieve the first nine ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix well.
2. Pour in the oil, add the vanilla essence and break in the eggs. Beat all together until well blended.
3. Stir in the remaining ingredients.
4. Pour in to a 33x23cm (13×9 inch) cake tin. Bake for 45-50 minutes at Gas 4/180C/350F.
RUNNER BEAN RECIPES
It isn’t necessary and you really can’t tell the difference but this year I grew two varieties of runner beans (Red Rum and Prizewinner). I sowed the Red Rum seed in early May and the Prizewinner about a month later, the Prizewinner beans aren’t quite ready yet but I’ve had several pickings of the others. I am a huge fan of runner beans and like to eat them raw, the recipes I have selected to share are quite unusual but as I like to experiment I simply had to have a go!
Runner Bean and Sweet Potato Curry from “The Garden to Kitchen Expert”
This is delicious as a side dish for an indian meal, or served on it’s own with Naan bread. If you live with a carnivore, it’s great with lamb chops too!
Serves 4
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 hot red chillies
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2.5cm piece fresh ginger
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 sweet potato
- 300g / 11oz runner beans
- 200ml / 7 fl oz coconut milk
1. Heat oil over medium heat and add the chopped chillies, garlic and ginger, the fennel seeds and ground spices. Stir-fry for a minute to soften and release the aromas.
2. Add diced sweet potato and runner beans, stir and cook for a minute, then add the coconut milk. Stir, reduce heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
3. Remove lid and cook for a further 10 minutes to reduce. Check vegetables are tender before serving.
Runner Bean and Bacon Batter Pudding from “It’s Raining Plums”
I love toad in the hole and this was described as a variation of one. I found that not to be the case but luckily I like omelette too (it had a much more eggy texture) so it was still delicious, just lacked the crunchy batter!
Serves 3-4
225g / 8oz runner beans, sliced- 3 large eggs
- 100g / 4oz plain flour
- 450ml / 15 fl oz milk
- 1 tsp sunflower oil
- 175g / 6oz streaky bacon (I used back bacon)
- salt and pepper
1. Preheat the oven to Gas 6/200C/400F.
2. Boil the runner beans for 5 minutes in lightly salted water.
3. Beat the eggs and flour together and stir in the milk and oil gradually to make a smooth batter, season with salt and pepper.
4. Grease a deep baking tin (approx 25x17cm / 10x7inch) and place in the oven until hot.
5. Pour a thin layer of batter on the bottom of the tin and scatter the runner beans over. Top with the remaining batter and finally the bacon cut into short pieces.
6. Bake for 40-50 minutes until crunchy and golden.
TOMATO RECIPES
Ok, so I am a self confessed over the top person when it comes to tomatoes. I just cannot get over the difference in the taste fresh from the garden versus the rubbish you get in supermarkets so I sow plenty of seeds. This year I chose five different varieties and sowed 42 seeds. 38 of these germinated and I have them planted in grow bags around the edge of my patio as well as in my greenhouse and at my father-in-laws!!! They’ve only really started to ripen in the last couple of weeks but I’ve already had quite a crop. These two recipes are great ways to use up a glut so you can keep them for later in the year.
Pickled Peppered Cheese from “Presents from the Kitchen”
This should be left to stand for a minimum of 12 hours but will keep for much longer in the fridge. This is a great accompaniment to BBQ meat or as an appetiser.
- 600g/1Ib 5oz cherry tomatoes (I used 400g)
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 tbsp vinegar (I used lemon vinegar)
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 red chilli, seeds removed and finely chopped
- fresh basil
- fresh oregano
- fresh thyme
- 300g / 10.5oz mozzarella, drained and chopped (I used 200g)
- 1 tbsp mixed peppercorns
1. Wash the tomatoes and prick all around with a wooden cocktail stick
2. Bring 250ml/9fl oz water to the boil together with the vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt
3. Wash the herbs, shake dry and break off individual sprigs
4. Put the tomatoes, chilli pieces, mozzarella and herbs in a sealable jar and cover with the seasoned water. Add the peppercorns and allow to cool.
Rich Pizza and Pasta Sauce from “The Allotment Gardeners Cookbook”
This is a favourite of mine that I make every year without fail. The recipe multiplies easily so I can often use 2 or 3 kilos of tomatoes at a time and I serve this sauce with meatballs, sausages, pasta and use it as a base for pizza. The sweetness from the tomatoes comes through so you can easily lose the sugar if you do not wish to use.
2 tbsp olive oil- 100g/4oz onions, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 1kg/2ib ripe tomatoes, stalks removed
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp fresh basil
- 1 bay leaf
- 25g/1oz caster sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
1. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan and fry the onions and garlic over a gentle heat until soft and transparent, about 8 minutes.
2. Wash and drain the tomatoes, chop roughly and add to the pan with the tomato puree. Stir well then add the herbs and seasonings.
3. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally for 30-40 minutes until the sauce has become a soft pulp.
4. Use the sauce straight away on cooked pasta or cool and pack into freezer bags or boxes to make individual portion.
I hope you are inspired to try some of these recipes, sorry for the terrible photography! If you do try any please share your thoughts, or tell me about your favourite recipes in the comments below.