Zucchini

Zucchini is a long, green summer squash with soft skin, pale flesh and a mild, slightly sweet taste. It is picked young, so the seeds are small and you can eat the whole thing, skin and all. It is grilled, roasted, sautéed, grated into fritters and cakes, cut into noodles, and cooked in stews such as ratatouille. It is mostly water, so it softens quickly.

How to do it

1. Wash and trim both ends. There is no need to peel it.
2. Slice into rounds, half-moons or long strips, or grate it.
3. To sauté, cook in a hot pan with a little oil for 4 to 6 minutes, without crowding, until golden at the edges.
4. To grill, cut lengthwise into 1 cm (½ inch) slices, brush with oil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side over high heat.

How to tell it is done

Cooked zucchini is tender with a little bite left and browned in spots. If it is soft all the way through and watery, it has gone too far.

How to use it

The same vegetable has different names:

• Zucchini in the US, Canada and Australia, from the Italian.
• Courgette in the UK, Ireland, France and New Zealand.
• Zucchina in Italy, plural zucchine.
• Baby marrow in South Africa.
• Zucchini in Sweden and Germany too.

In the US, summer squash is the wider group that includes zucchini and yellow squash. A marrow, in the UK, is a zucchini that has been left to grow large. It is watery with big seeds and is usually stuffed and baked.

Grated zucchini holds a lot of water. For fritters, muffins or cakes, salt it lightly, leave it 10 minutes in a colander, then squeeze it hard in a clean towel. For noodles, spiralize it and cook for only a minute, or serve it raw.

How to store it

Keep zucchini unwashed in the fridge drawer and use within 4 to 5 days. Choose small to medium ones, about 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 inches) long, with firm, shiny skin. Larger ones are seedier and more watery.

Common mistakes

• Crowding the pan. It steams and turns soggy instead of browning.
• Salting too early when you sauté it. It releases water into the pan. Salt at the end.
• Skipping the squeeze for grated zucchini. Fritters fall apart and bakes turn soggy.

In recipes

You will see "2 medium zucchini, sliced", "1 courgette, grated" and "zucchini noodles". The flowers are also eaten, often stuffed and fried.