Caviar De Courgettes Zucchini Caviar Food

CAVIAR DE COURGETTES - ZUCCHINI CAVIAR

Steps:

• Cut the courgettes into 1/2" thick slices.
• Cook them in simmering salted water for 15 minutes.
• During this time, take the pips out of the olives, and chop them up with the onions, garlic, mint, basil and parsley.
• Drain the courgettes as soon as they are soft and mashable.
• Blend the herb/onion mixture with the courgettes.
• Let cool. When it's cool, whizz it up in a processor, or press it through a food mill.
• Add the fresh lemon juice and the thyme.
• Salt and pepper this, according to your own taste, but making sure there is enough of this seasoning to bring out the flavor of the food.
• At the last minute, add the liquid creme fraiche, using a whisk to blend and get the right consistency (spreadable - dippable).
• Keep this cool and serve with toast fingers or sliced French bread.

HEALTHIER VEGGIE CARBONARA

Steps:

• Put a large pan of salted water on to boil. Halve the courgettes lengthways and scoop out and discard the core, then slice the courgettes at an angle into small diagonal pieces. Put the spaghetti in the pan of boiling water and cook following pack instructions.
• To make the creamy carbonara sauce, put the egg yolks in a bowl, add half of the grated cheese, and mix with a fork. Add up to 3 tbsp water to make the sauce less thick. Season and set aside.
• Heat a large frying pan on a medium to high heat and pour in a little olive oil. Fry the courgette slices and thyme leaves with a good grinding of black pepper for a minute or two until the courgette starts to soften, then add the mushrooms. Fry for 2-3 mins until golden and slightly softened. For the last minute of the cooking, add the garlic.
• Working quickly, drain the pasta, reserving a little of the cooking water. Toss the pasta in the pan with the courgettes and mushrooms, then remove from the heat and add a ladleful of the reserved cooking water and the egg and cheese sauce. Add the fresh parsley, if using, and the lemon zest and juice, then sprinkle over most of the remaining cheese. Stir everything together quickly to coat the pasta. The egg will cook if the pasta is still hot. If you're worried about it, put back on the heat for 1 min.
• Pour in a little more of the cooking water, if needed. You should have a silky and shiny sauce. Season to taste, then sprinkle with a little more cheese to serve. Eat straight away, as the sauce can become thick and stodgy if left for too long.

ZUCCHINI CARPACCIO

Steps:

• Slice zucchini lengthwise with a mandoline or chef's knife as thinly as you can, and sprinkle lightly with salt. Place in a colander for 30 minutes to remove the excess moisture, tossing occasionally.
• Dry on paper towels and arrange the zucchini in layers in a shallow serving dish, adding slices of garlic between the layers. Drizzle with lemon juice and marinate, refrigerated, for at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour. If you have more than 2 layers, you may need to turn the zucchini upside down every 15 minutes to coat them evenly with the lemon juice.
• To serve, arrange a few slices of zucchini on each plate. (Remove and discard garlic slices as you go.) Drizzle with olive oil and top with nuts and/or herbs. If you wish, add a few drops of runny honey, a few raisins or some Parmesan shavings.

ZUCCHINI AND TOMATO CAVIAR

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to boil.
• Add tomatoes and blanch 20 seconds.
• Drain.
• Peel, seed and chop tomatoes.
• Heat oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add zucchini, bell pepper, onion, parsley, garlic, basil and oregano and sauté 3 minutes.
• Stir in tomatoes, Worcestershire and lemon peel.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 3 hours and up to 8 hours.
• Drain off excess liquid.
• Add lemon juice and toss gently.
• Transfer to bowl.
• Serve with toasted pita bread.