In season: Courgettes

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Courgettes are at their best this month and offer a range of possibilities to the adventurous cook - from delicate flowers stuffed and coated in crisp tempura to grated courgette in a delicious chocolate cake. Alternatively, you might prefer to exploit their flavour carrying qualities by marinating in flavoured oil and shaving  ribbons into a dressed salad.

However you like them, you probably think there is little you don’t already know about this summer squash, but a little research reveals a few surprises:

MYTH #1: “courgettes” are called “courgettes”

In countries such as Canada, Australia, the USA and Germany, the plant is called a zucchini - from the Italian “zucchina" (small pumpkin).

MYTH #2: courgettes are small

According to the Guinness Book of Records, the world’s largest courgette was almost 6 foot long and weighed 65 lbs.

MYTH #3: courgettes are green

There are more than 100 varieties of courgette, each with different markings - including the "Sunbeam" with bright yellow and white stripes!

MYTH #4: courgettes are vegetables

Technically, courgettes are actually fruit - with a distant relationship to watermelons…

MYTH #5: but no-one really loves courgettes

In a 2005 Dolmio poll, the courgette was voted Britain’s 10th favourite vegetable.

MYTH #6: courgettes are mostly water, they have no nutritional value

Courgettes do have a high water content, which makes them low in calories, but they are also a good source of folates, vitamin C and vitamin A - helping to prevent both cancer and heart disease. A single courgette also contains more potassium than a banana.

MYTH #7 courgettes can drive you crazy

OK - maybe not a commonly held myth, but there is some evidence. Consider the two-day Annual Zucchini Fest in Hayward, California. This celebrates everything about the little green vegetable and attracts up to 30,000 visitors each year. The event features live music, arts and crafts – all with a “Zucchini” theme…

When shopping, look for courgettes that are small (water content increases as they grow bigger diluting their flavour), heavy for their size with shiny unblemished skin.

Seasonal recipe: try this simple courgette and citrus salad with pan fried cod.

Book review: Pie, Dean Brettschneider

As a man frequently on the receiving end of "who ate all the pies" football chants, I am particularly qualified to express an opinion on this latest offering from self-titled "global baker" Dean Brettschneider. 

PIE tells a story that started with filled Egyptian breads before being influenced by Greek, Roman and Medieval bakers and then French culinary superstars such as Antonin Careme. Together, they have all contributed to a dish that is equally at home in roadside cafes as fine dining restaurants around the world.

“Cooking is an art and baking is a science - making pies is a combination of both”

The eclectic range of recipes in the book reflects the antipodean roots of the author, with everything from "mince and cheese" to "spicy monkfish".  It does, however, miss some of the northern hemisphere staples that you might expect to see in a definitive work - a killer chicken and mushroom wouldn't go a miss, nor would the definitive steak and kidney. Despite this, there are enough classics to inspire any true pie lover. In fact, Brettschneider's Melton Mowbray style pork pie has already made me a picnic God in the eyes of my family and friends.

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My pork pie efforts...

As with many genre-specific cook books, there is a tendency to stretch its scope. I struggle to agree that a cheesecake strictly meets the brief, even tarts are pushing it for me, and whoever decided ginger biscuits deserved to make it into a pie based bible should be slowly beaten with a rolling pin. However, even I have to admit they all taste delicious and look amazing in the mouth watering photos that accompany them.

This book is a great reference manual, clearly explaining how to make every type of pastry you might ever need, as well as other foundation recipes such as creme patissiere that every cook should have in their armoury.

Richard Bertinet described PIE as "mouth watering and clever", and he has a point - but as far as I'm concerned it's worth buying for the pork pies alone.

Edible flowers: turning kitchen disasters into works of art

When I was learning to cook we were lucky to have a constant supply of edible flowers from the amazing husbandry school in Devon. One of the first things we learned was how just a few of these little gems could make a boring salad spring to life - and turn just about any kitchen disaster into a michelin starred work of art! 

So, when I saw that Karen over at lavenderandloveage.com and Janie at Hedgecomers.com were using edible flowers as the basis of their June tea time treats challenge I had to get involved. Take a look at my squid and chorizo salad entry or pop over to Karen's and see what other great recipes have been entered.

For guidance on which flowers are safe to eat, or to buy them online, try this link from the good folk at Greens of Devon.