Courgette or zucchini

Coarsely grate the courgette, toss it with a little salt and leave it for 10 minutes, then squeeze it very dry in a clean tea towel before mixing it into the batter. Fry spoonfuls in a lightly oiled pan for a few minutes on each side until golden.

Cut it into slices or half-moons and fry over a medium-high heat for about 5–7 minutes, turning now and then. Leave space in the pan so it browns instead of steaming, and salt it towards the end.

Yes. Slice or ribbon it thinly for salads, or grate it into slaw; small, firm courgettes are especially good raw. If a courgette tastes distinctly bitter, spit it out and discard the rest.

Keep them dry and unwashed in the fridge’s vegetable drawer, ideally in a loosely closed bag, and use them within about a week. Wash just before cooking; damp courgettes spoil more quickly.

Yes, though it softens when thawed, so frozen courgette suits soups, sauces and baking better than salads. Slice it, blanch for about 1–2 minutes, cool quickly in cold water, drain and freeze in portions.

They work well in ratatouille, courgette soup and pasta sauces, and can be sliced lengthways for grilling. For a quick side, toss chunks with oil and roast at 220 °C for around 20 minutes, turning once.

Botanically, it is a fruit: it develops from the flower and contains seeds. In cooking, courgette is treated as a vegetable, and it is usually picked young before the seeds and skin become tough.