The Zucchini Files. # 1 - Zucchini Relish

Six jars of freshly-made Zucchini Relish - and still plenty of zucchini to go!

The varieties are 'Goldrush' and 'Cocozelle di Napoli'.

I can't think what possessed me to plant six zucchini plants for only two people - apart from the fact that they were so easy to grow from seed. They have been producing at the usual scary zucchini rate for a month now, and I am having to find or invent new recipes for them, as well as give them away.

Since the zucchini is a versatile as well as a pleasant vegetable, I am amassing lots of good ways to cook them, from curries to cakes, which I will share in this 'Zucchini Files' series.

First up is my Zucchini & Gherkin Relish recipe, which I developed to use up a zucchini glut, and the gherkins which had grown too large for pickling whole. They are not essential to the recipe, but they are nice, as are the peppers, which add contrasting colours.

This relish is good on crackers, with or without cheese, and in cheese sandwiches.

ZUCCHINI & GHERKIN RELISH

Ingredients:

1 kg  unpeeled courgettes, finely chopped

250-350g   raw gherkins, finely chopped

200 g   onions, finely chopped

4 T  salt

500 ml  cider vinegar

600 g   white sugar

½ T  celery seed

1 T   dill seed

1 T  dry mustard

1 T  turmeric

1 T  cornflour

½ t  cayenne pepper

1   green pepper, finely chopped (optional)

1   red pepper, finely chopped (optional)

Method:

1. Combine the chopped zucchini, gherkins and onions in a large bowl.

2. Sprinkle with the salt and leave to stand overnight.

3. Drain the juices that have collected in the bowl, then rinse the vegetables in cold water and drain them once more.

4. In a large pot combine the courgette and onion with the rest of the ingredients  and bring to the boil, stirring.

5. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 45 minutes until the mixture has reduced and thickened.

6. Sterilize some jars and spoon the relish into them while hot.

7. Cap the jars and seal them tightly; process them in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

(You can use regular half-litre preserving jars with screwbands for holding the relish, OR jars with metal lids that have previously held pickles or jams. In both cases keeping them submerged in simmering water for 10 minutes will improve their chances of making a vacuum seal, which means the preserve will keep much longer in a safe edible condition. If a vacuum seal does not form, reprocess the jar OR store the relish in the fridge and eat up it up first. )