Chocolate Courgette Cake
450g courgettes, peeled
120 g Butter softened
125 ml sunflower oil
100g castor sugar
200g Soft brown sugar
3 eggs
130 ml milk
350g self raising flower
1 teasp baking powder
4 tabs cocoa
1 teaps vanilla
100g good dark chocolate
First get the oven dish ready (I use a 10" /25cm circular soft orange new one with a round of greaseproof paper - all greased, or whatever size you have).
Switch on oven to gas mark 5 ie medium hot.
Put the peeled courgettes into the Magimix (or liquidizer) in pieces and chop them up quite fine.
Put the Kenwood bowl (or a large bowl )with the butter in it in the oven to soften it. After about 5 mins add the sunflower oil
Measure out the sugars - it doesn't matter too much how much brown or white - must total 300 g. Beat (with electric mixer) until it looks like a Victoria sandwich cake should at this stage, then add the eggs, one at a time.
Measure out the flour and baking powder. Then add the cocoa powder and sieve it into the mixture. Add the vanilla and milk and mix a bit, then add the chopped courgette.
(You can add broken chocolate pieces to the cake, or use the melted chocolate with some water as an icing).
Cook in the oven for about 30 mins, but test it with a cocktail stick - which should come out clean.
A good way of using up surplus courgettes, but you do need an electric blender and or mixer
Nettle Pesto
An English twist on an Italian classic, and something else to do with a weed! A deliciAous, unusual (and nearly free) recipe, courtesy of River Cottage Handbook no3. Use it wherever you would use a regular basil pesto
Ingredients:20g breadcrumbs
100g young nettles (or the top few leaves of older ones)
20g strong Cheddar, grated
1/2 clove garlic, crushed
150ml -200ml rapeseed oil
Salt and pepperAn English twist on an Italian classic, and something else to do with a weed! A deliciAous, unusual (and nearly free) recipe, courtesy of River Cottage Handbook no3. Use it wherever you would use a regular basil pesto.
1) Preheat over to 180 degrees. Scatter the breadcrumbs on a baking tray and bake for about 10 minutes until dry and golden. Allow to cool.
2) Using gloves pick over nettles, remove stalks and wash well.
3) Half fill a pan wth water, bring to the boil and cram in the nettles until fully immersed. Cook for 1 minute.
4) Drain, allow to cool and then squeeze them as dry as possible (they won't sting you once cooked!)
5) Put the nettles into a food processor along with the breadcrumbs, cheese and garlic.
6) With the machine on a low speed, trickle in enough oil to make a loose paste. (You could use a large pestle and mortar instead)
7) Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy!
Ratatouille
2 tabs Vegetable oil
2 medium sized onions
2 or 3 cloves garlic
1 large aubergine
1 lb (500g) of courgettes
2 red or green peppers
4 or 5 tomatoes (or can use 8 oz. can).
Salt and freshly ground pepper
a handful of mixed fresh herbs (origano, thyme etc).
Serves about 6 people
Put a metal caserole dish on a ring on low heat and heat the oil. Add the chopped onion and soften, but not brown. Meanwhile peel the aubergine and deseed the peppers. Chop the courgettes into cubes. Add the garlic to the casserole dish and cook briefly. Then add the other vegetables (except tomatoes) and leave to cook gently for 1/2 hr, stirring occasionally until the veg become softer and more liquid. Add the tomatoes , seasoning and herbs and cook for another 1/2 hr. This dish can be cooked for at least 2 hrs without a problem (provided it is on low heat). It can be served hot or cold.
