Courgettes

The courgette is a member of the cucurbit family and is also called zucchini. They are the most popular of  the squashes as they are delicious, versatile to use and healthy.

They can be steamed, boiled, stir-fried, sautéed, stewed, grilled, roasted, deep-fried and baked. They are an excellent source of Vitamin A and a source of Vitamin C and folic acid. Courgettes are also a great source of potassium which helps keep muscles working.

At Bare Acre Farm we are harvesting beautiful Solar courgettes that work particularly well in this recipe as they contain none of the bitterness of the green courgette.

This risotto is meat free and delicious.

Ingredients

• 60g butter
• 1  onion, finely chopped
• 200g courgette, coarsely grated,
• 100g courgette diced
• 175g risotto rice
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1 litre vegetable stock made in a pot and  kept warm on a low heat
• 25g grated parmesan
• 2 heaped tbsp mascarpone
• a good glug of olive oil
• 1 heaped tbsp toasted pine nuts (optional)

Method

• Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the onion and gently fry until softened. Stir in the grated courgettes and rice, increase the heat and keep stirring for 1-2 mins.

• Add the lemon juice and a ladle full of hot stock, and bubble over a medium-high heat while continually stirring.
  When the liquid has just about been absorbed, add another ladleful of stock. Keep cooking like this for 20-25 mins until the rice is just tender and is creamy. Stir in the Parmesan, mascarpone and some seasoning, cover with a lid or baking sheet, and set aside for 5 mins while you cook the remaining courgettes.

• Heat some more butter plus the olive oil in a small frying pan. Add the diced courgettes, and fry over a high heat for 2-3 mins until golden. Divide the risotto between shallow bowls or plates, then add the diced courgettes and any juices on the pan, finally, scatter with pine nuts and lemon zest.

Enjoy your risotto and let us know what you thought of this recipe