Courgette and chocolate cake

Courgette (Zucchini) & Lemon Muffins

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Courgette (Zucchini) & Lemon Muffins

In this extreme hot weather that has overtaken the country it can be quite a task to keep the garden looking good and all the plants alive and well. We have a particular problem as the majority of our fruit and vegetables are grown in containers. In fact some like the radishes are grown in whatever packaging that happens to arrive at JibberJabber Towers!

Radishes grown in polystyrene box

This proves you don't need a large space to start growing your own produce. A few packets of seeds, a suitable container and some compost and you're ready to go. If you are still a bit unsure head over to the Westland site for some expert advice and tips.

Despite the sunshine not everything is ready to eat yet. The French beans have raced up the bamboo poles but are only just flowering. The first of the tomatoes have started to develop but are still not ready to eat. 

The tomatoes still need to get a bit bigger and to ripen

One thing that has grown well this year are the courgettes. So much so that some of the pots have had to be banished to outside of the greenhouse. 

 

We've gone courgette crazy!

Of course once you have successfully grown all this wonderful produce the problem is what can you make with all of it. I like to grate courgettes and quickly cook them with olive oil and garlic. They also go well as an extra vegetable in a tomato sauce. Alternatively you can try them in a sweet recipe. As ever my solution for any anything is bake it in a cake! I use the fine grater attachment on my food processor to prepare the courgettes. By mixing the yoghurt with bicarbonate of soda and then filling the cases to the top the muffins have a soufflé style top to them. Obviously this does mean they will stink but they still taste great.

Makes 12

Equipment: 12 cup muffin tin and paper cases.

Ingredients

½ tsp (2.5ml) Bicarbonate of soda

10 fl oz (280ml) Low fat natural yoghurt

10oz (280ml) Plain flour

2tsp (10ml) Baking powder

6oz (170g) Caster sugar

1 Large Courgette (about 10oz/280g), finely grated

6 tbsp (90ml) Oil, sunflower, vegetable or corn

1 Large egg, lightly beaten

Zest of 1 Lemon

½ tsp (2.5ml) Vanilla extract

Method

1. Put the paper cases into the muffin tin.

2. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4.

3. In a small bowl mix together the Bicarbonate of soda and yoghurt and leave to one side.

4. In a separate bowl stir together the flour, baking powder and sugar.

5. Into the bowl add the courgette, oil, egg, lemon zest, vanilla extract and yoghurt mix.

6. Quickly combine the ingredients until mixed and then spoon into the cases. Fill up to the top.

7. Bake for about 30 minutes until the muffins have puffed up but have cooked through.

8. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Westland Horticulture. The words, photographs and recipe are my own.

Smoked Salmon and Courgette (Zucchini) Pasta

Smoked Salmon and Courgette (Zucchini) Pasta

“Smoked salmon at JibberJabber Towers!” I hear you cry, “Is the Queen coming to supper?” No, just the four of us but this pasta dish with just some courgettes, olive oil and garlic makes a seemingly luxury meal a midweek family meal.

I love smoked salmon and in fact Christmas Day just isn't right without having scrambled eggs with smoked salmon for breakfast, a smoked salmon timbale starter and smoked salmon sandwiches for tea. Thankfully the rest of the occupants at JibberJibber Towers are also smoked salmon lovers. My local supermarket currently sells a 120g packet of smoked salmon trimmings for 98p, which is just the right amount for this recipe. I use the smoked salmon trimmings in a number of dishes but this recipe is particularly nice for summer as contains no heavy cream sauce and the courgettes give it a fresh and light taste.

There are two things to bear in mind when making this meal. Firstly, use olive oil as stated. Do not substitute sunflower or vegetable for it. The olive oil gives the pasta a distinct flavour that doesn't taste as good if other oils are used. Second thing concerns the courgettes. I grate them using the fine cutter attachment on my food processor. I do this for reasons of speed, to save my fingers being shredded and also because the courgettes don't get pulped when grated. You must also make sure you squeeze some of the water out of the courgettes as described. If you skip this stage do not come back to me complaining your courgettes ended up as a watery mush!

When we made this the last time we had it with farfalle or bow-tie shaped pasta because as any Doctor Who fan knows (and there are two here) that, “Bow-ties are cool”. However, choose your own favourite shape but spaghetti or linguine do work very well too.

With the three main ingredients of smoked salmon, courgettes and pasta this is being put forward for the Recipes for Life challenge for the SWALLOW Charity on Vanesther's Bangers and Mash blog.

 

Serves 4

Ingredients

300g Dried pasta

2 Courgettes, grated

2 Cloves of garlic, crushed

3 tbsp (45ml) Olive oil

100-150g Packet of Smoked salmon trimmings

Method

1. Start the pasta cooking in boiling water.

2. Using kitchen towels put the courgettes between two and squeeze the excess water out of the courgettes. You will need to do this in a couple of batches.

3. In a large saucepan heat the oil.

4. Cook the courgettes and garlic until the courgettes start to soften. Do not let the garlic to burn.

5. Once the pasta has cooked drain it and then add it to the courgettes and garlic.

6. Add the smoked salmon and stir until the mixture is well combined.

Serve immediately.