Why is it such a thing about courgettes every summer? Magazines, blogs and weekend supplements fall over themselves to supply novel ways of utilising courgettes: cakes, breads, omelettes and ravioli. Worldwide – since it also applies if you call them zucchini – there are helplines set out to advise on everything courgette.
Why so? I don’t think we have the same thing about beetroot, for instance, and I for one have three neat rows of beet crop, even after thinning them out twice. There are no desperate queries posted about a glut of broccoli, or about carrots. Too many cabbages? No worries, I’ll just give them away. Why do we get in a frenzy about courgettes?
I suspect it’s because they are easy to grow so everyone does, even though we don’t like them very much.
Have you ever heard anyone profess zucchini to be their favourite veg? Exactly. There’s no definite taste to them, they are watery and insipid, and don’t even take on flavours like some other bland agents, potatoes. So why even bother? Beats me.
I don’t mind courgettes actually, best like slices fried hard in butter (but then what isn’t tasty fried hard in butter?) but I have the same issue as everyone else: we’ve grown the buggers, now we gotta eat ’em.
This is a take on fritters (a variety of ‘frying hard in butter’) but without the faff of grating and squeezing. The crunchy, spicy coating is really nice so really, who cares what the hell is inside it?