Did you know courgettes are technically fruits, not vegetables, because they grow from a flower and contain seeds? In South Africa, they’re usually called baby marrows, while some shops may also label them zucchini. The great thing about courgettes is that they work in almost any dish. Slice them into pasta, grate them into fritters, roast them with garlic, stir them into curries or bake them into cakes and muffins. They even work well as a lower-carb alternative to noodles when spiralised into “courgetti”.

In this recipe, raw courgette is sliced into long, delicate ribbons and tossed with lemon, olive oil and pesto. A vegetable peeler is all you need to create the ribbons, although a mandoline will give you thinner, more even strips. Stop when you reach the soft, seedy centre and save that part for soup, pasta sauce or an omelette.

Tip: Choose smaller courgettes if possible, as they tend to be sweeter and contain less water than oversized ones.

Prep: 20 minutes | Cook: 5 minutes | Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 5 small courgettes
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp honey
• Salt and black pepper
• 150g feta, crumbled
• ½ cup croutons
• ⅓ cup pine nuts
• ⅓ cup basil pesto
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1 cup microgreens or rocket

Method

1. Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan over medium heat for two to three minutes. Set aside.
2. Use a vegetable peeler to shave the courgettes lengthways into ribbons.
3. Place the ribbons in a large bowl.
4. Whisk the lemon juice, zest, olive oil, honey, salt and pepper together.
5. Pour the dressing over the courgettes and toss gently.
6. Leave them to stand for ten minutes.
7. Add the feta, croutons, toasted pine nuts, basil and microgreens.
8. Spoon small amounts of pesto over the salad.
9. Toss once or twice, keeping the pesto slightly streaky rather than fully mixed through.