Herbed Stuffed Courgettes (Zucchini)

Last Sunday I went to a wonderful farmer's market in Blackheath where I found some nice courgettes, both yellow and green. Since courgettes are in season, I wanted to make a dish with a summer feel but I wanted the courgettes to be the star of the main course instead of just a side. I decided the best way to do this was to stuff the courgettes and then serve them with a bit of salad and some fresh bread. The result is a nice summery light meal.

Stuffed Courgettes with Tuna and Herbs

6 courgettes
1 can of tuna, drained (if you're not into tuna you can substitute cooked mince or rice or mushrooms)
1 egg
1/3 cup of strong grated cheese (Pecorino, Parmesan, Cheddar, etc)
A mixture of chopped fresh vegetables, whatever is on hand (I used 3 salad onions, a handful of rocket/arugula, a handful of fresh peas and 1/4 of a pepper)
1 sprig of rosemary
3 sprigs of thyme
6-7 leaves of sage

Place the whole courgettes in a pot of cold water. Bring them to a boil. Once the water is boiling set the timer for 10 minutes. While the courgettes are boiling, combine the tuna, egg, and chopped vegetables in a bowl. Chop the herbs finely and add to the mixture along with half of the grated cheese.

When the courgettes have boiled for 10 minutes remove them from the water. Allow them to cool until you can work with them. Cut each courgette in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, remove and set aside the inside of the courgettes (the area with the seeds.) Roughly dice the pieces of courgette that have been removed, squeeze out any extra water and add this to the tuna mixture.

Line a baking pan with foil and heat the oven to 200 degrees C (450 F) Place the courgettes on the baking sheet. Stuff each courgette with the tuna mixture. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake for 10-15 minutes.

These can be eaten hot or cold and can be frozen.


Total cooking time:25 minutes
Prep time: 10 minutes