Making courgettes more digestible

[muckdiva]

I love courgettes, but this year every time I've eaten them, I've ended up with stomach ache. They aren't bitter or anything, (I've heard that bitter courgette fruit can cause sickness) but I'm beginning to get put off growing them again....which is a bit depressing. Any ideas?

I was going to try peeling them, or maybe salting them to get rid of some of the excess water before cooking, but any advice gratefully received?.

[PAULW]

Normally there is no way I would put a courgette in my mouth but I found this recipe and gave it a try and found it quite nice, maybe there is some way of you adapting the use after preparing them this way, boil courgettes until soft then fry them with onions untill most of the moisture has been removed.

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...pie_36658.html

[Two_Sheds]

I'm fine with courgettes, but sweet peppers really upset my stomach ... and repeat horribly for hours afterwards

[mrdinkle]

How about thinly sliced and oven baked with a pinch of salt and drizzle of olive oil over them?

I made andi&di's pickled courgettes and they are superb! http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...tes_21316.html

Also made a load into chutney - ala HFW recipe in the little jam and preserve book that came with GYO the other month.

Alternatively gently fried in butter or olive oil with some salt and cracked black pepper.

Could it be that you are picking them too big? Also, what variety did you grow? I grow a lot of yellow skinned varieties and pick them on the not too big side - they seem a bit sweeter to me.

[RedThorn]

You say that Muckdiva, the last 2 times my OH had yellow courgettes, she's felt queasy, where I've been fine. Not sure if it's pregnancy related or not though....

[muckdiva]

You say that Muckdiva, the last 2 times my OH had yellow courgettes, she's felt queasy, where I've been fine. Not sure if it's pregnancy related or not though....

Fairly sure that's not my condition...

Suggestions much appreciated guys, will give them a try. I normally pick courgettes quite small, but actually the last lot had gotten away a bit. The plants were bog standard dark green ones, but I have a couple of light coloured varieties coming along, so will see if they are better.

[ohbeary]

Boil!!! cougettes!!, please don't do that, roll cut or chunk them salt and drain if you must, chargrill on one of those cast iron plates or rayburn/aga top set aside whilst you knock up a tomato sce or fold into previously made sce, serve over al dente pasta with fresh!!! parmesane shavings(not sick smelling dust from a box), or chargrill in slices, top lightly toasted ciabatta with alternate slices of tomato and courgette a few slices of mozzarella, drizzle with olive oil add a sprinkle of herbs place under moderate grill til cheese melts, eat hot, with side of pastrami and glass of Chianti or Barolo, as a veg dish, chunk them, slice peppers finely saute peppers in butter with a veg/chicken or pork stock cube add courgettes and saute until a little water is apparent in the pan remove from heat and consume with grated cheddar, diced fetta, sliced brie in fact anything BUT!!! boil them, what disrespect to a beautiful vegetable!!.

[binley100]

Courgette cake is definatly the way forward.

[ohbeary]

Oy!! binley100!! NO!!, there's more to life than cake!! Marie Antoinette found out!!, she lost her head over it!!, there's only so much cake you can eat!!, and it doesn't use many courgettes aaaand cake is full of sugar!!.
How much nicer and healthier to grill and serve with olive oil, tomatoes, hot homemade bread, cheese, How about?, slice em lengthwise!, char-grill, split pitta bread/ciabatta/french stick, toast lightly, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with provencal herbs, top with courgettes, top that with slices of goats cheese spread thinly with red pesto, finish under grill, we must eat properly and what better way than with our own produce?. (cake indeed!!).
PS, it's "definitely"

[Two_Sheds]

OhBeary, she's not short of recipes ... she just wants to know why they upset her tum

[jackie j]

I have made a lot of courgette relish which is on here somwhere, its very nice. I also grate it into cottage pie to hide it then my daughter eats it.
No idea why it might give you an upset stomach though.

[Flummery]

Do you peel them? Just a thought. I eat the lot but some people find cucurbit skins indigestible.

[binley100]

Actually ohBeary I like courgettes any which way even sliced raw in salad. But in cakes they are peeled and it means I can get my kids to eat them . You only need about three average ones and you don't have to pig the whole cake. Everythings okay in moderation.
Can I also point out that cheese and olive oil contain fat also bread even homemade contains sugar and fat.
I might not be able to spell but I have studied nutrition.
Sorry if that sounds ar**y but it needed saying.

[muckdiva]

Experimented last night with peeling and salting. Looking good so far....

[Madasafish]

I find tonic water solves any stomach problems. It's the quinine.. or is it the gin?