Courgette fritters

Tzatziki is the perfect accompaniment to these fritters, says Jojo Tulloh in her new allotment cookbook. If you find yourself eating a lot of them, you may like to try shaping the courgette mixture round small cubes of feta for the sake of variety. Serves four as a starter.

INGREDIENTS

4 small or 2 medium courgettes (about 350g),

1tbsp plain flour,

2 eggs, beaten,

1tbsp finely chopped herbs (mint and chives or thyme),

Zest of 1 lemon,

1 clove garlic, finely chopped,

2 spring onions, peeled and shredded,

Sea salt and pepper,

To serve: mixed lettuce and herbs and some lemon segments

600g chicken, boned, cut into 2.5cm cubes,

Half tsp garam masala,

Two tsp coriander leaves, finely chopped,

One tsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

Grate the courgettes coarsely, salt and leave them to drain in a colander.

Take a clean tea towel and place the courgette pulp in the middle.

Wring the tea towel out - a surprising amount of water will come out.

Place the flour in a bowl and add the beaten eggs, herbs, lemon zest, garlic, spring onions and courgettes.

Heat a large frying pan with a couple of tablespoons of oil. When the oil is hot, take a heaped table-spoon of mixture and drop it into the pan, flattening it out slightly with the back of the spoon. Don't flip it over before the bottom is brown.

Once they're done, drain the fritters on a plate lined with paper towel.

Serve with mixed leaves of mint, sorrel, little gem and mustards and with a few lemon segments. Or roll them up in a soft flatbread with salad and tzatziki.

Taken from Freshly Picked - Kitchen Garden Cooking in the City by Jojo Tulloh, published by Chatto & Windus at £20. To order from The Week Bookshop at £18 (incl. p&p) contact: 0870 0711 712.