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Do you grow courgettes?
You might have wondered what, if anything you can do with the abundance of slightly hairy, bright green leaves that seem to have little use, other than for going to the compost.
Those gorgeous leaves are a by-product, mainly ignored in favour of the flowers. And with those bulbous bright yellow flower heads, it seems you only really see them in restaurants. The British public it seems has never felt it appropriate to start filling them up and steaming or deep frying them at home, despite us being a nation of allotment growers, but the reluctance of many to try new things has always confounded me.
For instance.
A few years ago, our fish delivery was running late and it was almost lunchtime when it finally arrived. The stressed-looking driver had told us he’d had a puncture, which meant we were three hours behind on our work schedule, and he’d had the pleasure of standing in the rain for most of the morning. In a world where we calculate deadlines in minutes, this is somewhat irritating. Being so late in the day, the staff lunch was ready and I offered the driver something to eat, as surely it could only brighten up his terrible morning.
He was very pleased, most likely thinking it was going to be a sausage sandwich or something, so he asked what we were having. Now let’s be clear, staff lunch in a restaurant is not anything other than what’s easy, quick, practical and good to eat. Spaghetti Bolognaise is often a staple and a large pot of rich silky meat ragu was sat on the pass that day. It’s one of the finest things in the world when made with care. In fact, I might go as far as saying that it’s most likely one of my favourite things to eat. Our driver however disagreed as he dismissed the bowl offered to him mumbling something about '‘not eating that foreign crap”.
So this recipe here today is most probably not for him.
Anyway.
Courgette leaf, pecorino and hazelnut pesto
I’m not going to write this recipe in a format, as it doesn’t need the formality. Just make it as I explain. You’re basically making a pesto. It’s very easy.
Collect a basket full of courgette leaves, rinse them of undesirables and blanch them briefly in boiling water. This removes the hairiness.
Let them sit in a colander for a few minutes to drain. Roughly chop through with a knife, and scoop them into the jug of a blender along with a handful of hazelnuts, and a little garlic that you’ve first chopped into a smooth paste. Don’t add whole chunks as it’s simply not the right way to do it. Take the time to smear your garlic with a little salt over a chopping board with the flat of a knife to make a little paste.
Add salt and pepper to the leaves, and start the blender, pouring in olive oil to make a pesto consistency. Grate a handful of old pecorino and stir it through, along with a few of the courgette flowers. Not that they will bring any flavour but they’ll give a few points of colour to the green sauce.
You now have courgette pesto. This is something that should likely become a staple of summer eating for you. Different entirely from its Ligurian basil cousin.
Use it as a sauce for roasted vegetables, grilled fish, gnocchi and spaghetti. It’s an overlooked green leaf that seems to have no real place in the kitchen, and I don’t really understand why. Courgette leaves are very easy to collect as they grow so vigorously, and if you don’t have your own, ask around as I’m sure most people you know that grow things to eat will have some, and a fair swap would be a jar of this in return. Yes, they feel a bit weird when you pick them as they’re fuzzy, but the blanching process softens the little hairs.
Truly a recipe to share for summer.
Until Thursday
William
I will be making this as soon as I’m back on my feet. Thank you for the inspiration.
What a wonderful idea for using the leaves. I’ll bookmark this for when zucchini’s are back in season in the southern hemisphere. My very English grandparents were of the sale ilk as your fish delivery person. I never saw them eat anything that resembled pasta and for them garlic was the embodiment of everything foreign and never ever crossed their threshold! I just think of all the things they missed out on.