This Week's Food Focus is Courgette

I say courgette, you say zucchini (if you're a Yank), or baby marrow if you're South African. In culinary terms, it is treated as a vegetable but in botanical terms the courgette, which belongs to the curcubita genus is a fruit, the main body being the ovary in which the seeds are contained. Courgettes can be eaten raw in salads, or made into low carb 'noodles'. They can be sauteed, stuffed, grilled, steamed, made into soup or incorporated into banana bread style cakes. Their flowers can also be eaten, stuffed or deep fried. Nutritionally, courgettes are low in calories with a low glycemic index, a good source of potassium and manganese, as well as antioxidants such as vitamins A and C. A little known fact is that courgettes like other members of the Cucurbitaceae family, contain a toxin called cucurbitacin, that is categorized chemically as a steroid; defending the plant from predators. If overly bitter in taste they should be avoided as it signifies their toxicity. However, this is usually limited to ornamental varieties or those that have been grown with insufficient water or in very dry conditions, causing an overproduction of the bitter tasting toxin. We will be sharing an array of delicious and healthy recipes this week to make the most of all those lovely, sweet almost nutty tasting courgettes that have just started to appear on the supermarket shelves and at the farmer's market.

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