Food review | Courgette glut

MY LAST meal out in 2014 was at the Shop Café, which very sadly is not reopening in 2015.  Doon Estate, as a whole, is a depressed shadow of its former self, though it’s still a good place for presents. Just before Christmas there were some shoppers — certainly enough to render service in Veldemeers totally inefficient.

It took about an hour to get two cups of coffee and a Christmas chocolate box. We abandoned the takeaway milkshake and another family, patience exhausted, left after waiting way too long for their order. Certainly chaos seemed to reign — with no clear role distinctions and a couple of staff seemingly doing everything — taking orders, waiting on tables, making coffee and sandwiches, taking payment, boxing and serving chocolates. At times there was no-one behind the counter and no management in evidence while at one point proprietor Hans Veldemeer was wielding a broom, sweeping up after a group of guests! Good product though.

Since then its been raining almost none stop. The ill-advised road bulldozed through a wetland and across a stream without making any allowances for run-off has inevitably become a permanent and very muddy long pool ’ threatening to flood our potholed street. Resilient locals have quickly turned the banks into new mealie fields — but mud rules supreme.

Courgettes love the rain — and my vegetable garden has been taken over. This year we planted two varieties. The more common one grows in a sprawling bush and produces long, slim dark green marrows hidden under the large, slightly prickly leaves.

When still young they are topped with beautiful starry yellow flowers — helpful in finding them — but after a few days the flowers drop off and they can balloon to rugby ball size before you trip over them in the mud. The second variety is paler and gourd shaped — more like an elongated butternut — and grows on a pumpkin like vine. With a tougher skin these are better for roasting — while the thinner ones are more tender and good for marinating raw in salads or light sautéing.

The glut has inspired some courgette recipes — and I can easily keep going the whole of January! Courgettes’ delicate taste is complemented by leafy herbs — basil, mint, lemon thyme. It’s interesting to see that often plants which make good flavour companions also make good garden companions and basil flourishes with courgettes.

Courgette soufflé makes a lovely light lunch. Sauté gently 400g sliced courgettes in butter with some lemon thyme until soft. Get rid of any excess moisture and blitz. Add 2 egg yolks and a béchamel sauce made with 2 TP butter, 2 TP flour and ½ cup milk. Separately whisk 4 egg whites until stiff and fold in. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon into a buttered soufflé dish — with straight sides if possible.

I used a pyrex bowl — which was okay — but think the right dish would have given a better result. Sprinkle with finely grated parmesan. (A tasty new parmesan type cheese on the market is Olympia from a Chinhoyi dairy). Bake at 190˚ for 35 to 40 minutes until top is raised and golden. Don’t open the oven — soufflés are notorious for collapsing as soon as the temperature changes. Eat straight away.

For soup — sauté finely chopped onion and diced courgettes in a mixture of butter and olive oil. Add a couple of tomatoes, just cover with water and simmer till soft. Add salt, pepper and fresh basil. I like to use the courgette flowers too for extra colour and flavour. Blitz and serve with a swirl of yoghurt and basil leaf garnish.
Enjoy!

g.jeke@yahoo.com