• Serves 6
This dish screams of July with its vibrant colours and textures and floral flavours.
A Mediterranean old school favourite, using courgette flowers should really break out of their fine dining image in the UK. There always seems to be a glut of courgettes, using the flowers is a truly rewarding alternative to ratatouille or giant stuffed marrows!
Ingredients
- 6 large courgette flowers
- 300 gm hard (or crumbly) goats cheese
- 1 medium red onion, finely diced
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- Fine zest ½ lemon
- 6 sprigs of mint finely chopped
- 50 gm toasted pine nuts
- 1 egg (beaten to use as egg wash)
- 100 gm plain flour
- 50 ml olive/ pomice oil or good sunflower oil for sautéing
Method
- Remove the goats' cheese rind and beat the cheese to smooth; then add the onion, garlic, lemon zest, mint, raspberry vinegar and pine nuts. Chill in freezer for 10 minutes.
- Divide the goats' cheese mix into 6 and carefully shape into 'fat cigar' shape rounds to fit the flowers.
- Carefully part one side of each flower and insert the shaped mix then re-shape the flower around the mix (don't worry if some of the goats cheese mix is visible).
- Brush each stuffed flower lightly with egg wash and coat fully in plain flour.
- Heat a large frying pan to a low to moderate temperature and gently sauté the flowers, carefully turning until crisp and even for 3 minutes until just taking colour and the goat's cheese just starting to suppurate.
Raz-al-hanout double couscous
Ingredients
- 400 gm Israeli or giant couscous
- 500 ml light vegetable stock
- 1 dessert spoon raz-al-hanout seasoning
- 7 dessert spoons of olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 large red onion diced
- 1 red pepper diced
- 1 large courgette diced
- 2 cloves garlic fine chopped
- 1 large orange fine zested
Method
- Bring the stock, raz-al-hanout and 1 tablespoon olive oil to the boil. Add the Israeli couscous and simmer for 5 minutes on a very gentle heat, or until just beginning to stick to the pan, remove from heat and cover with lid, leave to stand for 15 minutes.
- In a wok gently sauté the red onion in 1 tablespoon olive oil for 2 minutes, add the garlic and orange zest sauté for 1 further minute. Add the pepper and courgette and sauté for 3 minutes.
- Finally transfer the couscous to a bowl, add 1x tablespoon olive oil and break the couscous down using fingers until all separated with no lumps. Add this to the sauté diced vegetables and stir fry for 2 minutes, season and add the final tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper and the juice of orange.
- Serve immediately or keep for up to 3 days and reheat. Can be served as a salad with fresh herbs (mint or coriander) and feta or pine nuts.
