How to Eat Vegetables

Here in France the shops are full of courgettes (or zucchini to you perhaps) at the moment.  I don’t much like them as a vegetable but spotted a likely looking recipe in Nigella’s  ‘How To Be A Domestic Goddess’ book and, undeterred by my recent tasty yet unattractive chocolate loaf cake, decided to give the stand mixer another whirl.

The early signs were encouraging.

We already had a jar of home made lime curd in the cupboard for the filling and a whole net of limes in a bowl seeking a purpose.

I just had to nip down to the shop for some cream cheese and there you go.

The recipe has you sprinkle the top with pistachios – which makes it even more green – but I stuck with the zest of a lime.  Because, as I’ve mentioned before, I’m not keen on sweet things.

Have a great weekend.

Flora’s Famous Courgette Cake (from Nigella Lawson How To Be A Domestic Goddess)

• 60g raisins (optional)
• 250g courgettes (2-3, weighed before you grate them)
• 2 eggs
• 125ml vegetable oil
• 150g caster sugar
• 225g self-raising flour
• 1/2 tsp bicarb soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line 2 x 21cm round tins.

If using raisins, place in a bowl and cover with warm water to plump them up. (I didn’t add any and didn’t miss them).

Rinse whole courgettes, and then grate (skin on) with the course side of a grater – you want to see the flecks of green.

Place eggs, oil, and sugar in bowl of electric mixer, and beat until creamy. Fold in sifted flour, bicarb, and baking powder. Stir in courgette (and raisins if using).

Pour mixture into tins and bake for 30 minutes, until golden on top and firm to touch. Remove from oven and leave to cool completely before assembling.

For filling use a good quality curd or make your own.  Lime is best and we just happened to have some already made but lemon is good too.

For the icing.

• 200g cream cheese, softened
• 100g icing sugar, sifted
• juice 1 lime (and zest if you want to decorate the top with it)
• 2-3 tbsp chopped pistachios (not the salty ones you have with drinks!)

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add icing sugar, beating continually. Add lime juice.

To assemble cake, place bottom layer on a serving plate and spread thickly with lime curd. Place 2nd cake on top carefully. Spread cream cheese over the top, and sprinkle with pistachios or just the zest of lime as I did. 

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