If there’s ever been a plant that gives more than it takes, it’s the courgette. Often one of the first veg I recommend to new gardeners, courgettes are generous, fast-growing and endlessly useful. Give them sunshine, a good bit of compost and regular water, and they’ll reward you with basketfuls of glossy fruits before you’ve even had time to blink.
They’re loved around the world, whether sliced into delicate ribbons and grilled in Greece, tucked into quesadillas in Mexico, or stirred through stews in Morocco. Their flowers are treated as delicacies in French and Italian kitchens, where they’re stuffed, battered or simply sautéed. And let’s not forget the often-overlooked stalks. In Puglia, Italy, the tender green stalks, called tenerumi, are chopped into soups or sautéed with garlic and olive oil…
