Tzatziki-coated Courgettes and Pecans

MERCY

Once, we were grilling zucchini from the garden. It was summer time and I was about to leave you.
A praying mantis landed on the grill. He was bright and beautiful even as he fizzled and I burned all my fingertips trying to save him. You can’t tell when an insect is in pain but he must have been and you put him in the grass so softly where I found and stomped him. And I think it surprised us what we each defined as mercy.

Joy Sullivan

I’ve crumbled feta into courgettes for years now – sometimes with nuts and sometimes with raisins. Then I found I had some bought tzatziki in the fridge which needed eating up – I threw that in too and was happily surprised with the result. In fact tzatziki is always best home-made, but if you wanted to cheat with this recipe you could simply by ready-made tzatziki and add the feta and walnuts.

Now I always get asked for the recipe for this. It goes particularly well with lamb.

 

For four

• 400g/14 oz courgettes (baby ones are best)
• 4 tbsp Greek yoghurt
• 1 fat garlic clove, crushed with 1 tsp smoked salt
• Juice and zest of a small lemon
• Olive oil spray
• 40g/⅓ cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)
• 100g/4 oz/½ standard pack feta cheese
• About ten grinds Indonesian long pepper
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill – or if you are serving this with lamb – mint

 

Briefly dry fry the walnut pieces – why? Go here to find out

Using a potato peeler cut the baby courgettes into long lengths

Arrange them on an oiled, ribbed, griddle pan, spray over some olive oil and grind over some pepper. Griddle for a couple of minutes on each side, until they get those attractive, professional-looking black stripes. If you don’t have a griddle pan you can simply fry!

Mix the yoghurt, garlic, and lemon juice together in a bowl large enough to contain the courgettes. Keep in a warm place. Reserve the zest.

Just before serving mix the courgettes in with the yoghurt mixture.

Serve the coated courgettes on each plate along with whatever meat you are offering. Crumble over some feta, and sprinkle over walnuts, dill and lemon zest