Courgette

A courgette is a young summer squash, usually dark green and shaped like a fat cucumber, eaten skin, seeds and all. The UK uses the French name; the US, Canada and Australia call it zucchini, from Italian. In South Africa it is often a baby marrow, which is a fair description: left on the plant, a courgette grows into a marrow.

Courgettes are mostly water, with a mild, slightly sweet flavour, so the cooking decides how they turn out. Sliced and cooked quickly in a hot pan or on a griddle, they brown and keep some bite. Crowded or covered, they release their water and go soft and grey. Salting grated courgette and squeezing it out in a clean tea towel stops fritters and bakes turning soggy.

They also bake well in cakes and breads, where the grated flesh keeps the crumb moist.

Smaller courgettes have firmer flesh and fewer seeds. Look for glossy, firm ones without soft patches.

An American recipe for zucchini works unchanged with courgettes.