Courgette and Dill Bake

I like to write about the virtues of the modest courgette, an often-overlooked vegetable that combines well with a variety of flavors. The courgette is loved in the Mediterranean, and you’ll find it stewed, sauteed, grilled, and fried.  It grows all year long in greenhouses, but summer is the season where it can grow in the open air. There are several varieties that range from dark green, light green speckled green and yellow, the latter adds a splash of colour. For this recipe, I used the pale green courgette because it happened to grow in my garden but feel free to use whatever is available near you.

A sort of crustless tart, the Courgette and Dill Bake is easy to make and works both as a starter or with good quality bread and a salad bowl it is perfect one-course summer lunch.

Ingredients

• 10 small white courgettes
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 6 finely chopped spring onions/ scallions
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 small bunch of dill
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 10 mint leaves
• 8 large eggs
• 200 g feta cheese
• 6 cherry tomatoes
• 2 heaped tablespoons plain white flour
• 2 tablespoon of olive oil to oil the dish

Method

1. Coarsely grate the courgettes and the onion.
2. Finely chop the spring onions. Sprinkle a teaspoon of salt over the vegetables and place them in a colander over a bowl and leave them to drain for 10 minutes before pressing them with your hands to extract the liquid.
3. Mix the flour and the spices into the grated mix.
4. Break the eggs inside a big bowl, beat them with a whisk, and fold the chopped herbs into the mixture.
5. Incorporate the courgettes into the eggs and then add half of the cheese.
6. Oil an ovenproof dish and pour the omelette in it.
7. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half and scatter them on the surface of the omelette.
8. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C/355F for 25 minutes.
9. Take the dish out of the oven, scatter the remaining cheese on top and return to the oven for another 20 minutes.
10. Serve warm.