If you’ve ever grown a courgette plant then you know they produce an awful lot of vegetables. Over the years I’ve tried lots of different recipes to use up the generous harvests of courgettes. They’re great raw or par-cooked (because they’re technically a fruit) and this recipe is a par-cooked one. It may look like rolling the courgette is fiddly and unnecessary but it’s easy, weirdly therapeutic, and actually adds to how good it tastes because it gives the salad texture. I’m making this salad today in an attempt to hurry spring along and practice for the inevitable deluge of courgettes in the summer.
Some nuts, beans and seeds contain good levels of omega-3 which is an essential nutrient for your brain to function, especially when managing depression.
INGREDIENTS
Serves 2 Adults & 2 Kids
2 large courgettes or 3 medium sized
1 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves
sea salt
1 lemon
sour cream
pine nuts
optional fresh mint and chilli oil
- Use a vegetable peeler to create ribbons of courgette. Apply enough pressure to get ribbons 2mm thick. Discard the first ribbon which will be all green skin. Once you’re down to the seeds turn the courgette over and continue making ribbons.
- Put the oil into a large frying pan on a medium high heat. Peel and crush the garlic then chop into a rough paste. Add the courgette ribbons to the pan then sprinkle over 1/4tsp of sea salt and add the garlic then cook for 2 minutes. Turn the ribbons after a minute. Squeeze over half a lemon then use the tongs to remove the ribbons to a tray. Before turning off the heat toast the pine nuts in the pan for 30 seconds then turn off the heat.
- Spread some sour cream or plain yoghurt onto a dinner plate so it’s about half a cm thick. Roll each ribbon into a rose then stick them in the sour cream. Once you’ve finished sprinkled over the pine nuts. Squeeze over some lemon and grind over a little more salt then scatter with mint and drizzle with chilli oil if you’re using them.
onetoughcooker.com 