Ghillie says: “These fried patties should be packed with herbs – the more the merrier – especially the mint. The patties are versatile, so you can also use grated raw carrot or fried leeks if you choose. Once cooked, they keep well and can be enjoyed cold as well as hot, straight out of the pan.”

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 2 firm courgettes/zucchini
• 1 red or gold onion, cut in half lengthways, in half again crossways, and sliced with the grain
• 200g feta, crumbled
• 1–2 fresh red or green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons dried mint
• A bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
• A bunch of dill fronds, coarsely chopped
• A big bunch of fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped (reserve a little finely chopped mint for garnishing)
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Sunflower oil, for frying
• 1–2 lemons, cut into wedges

Method

In a big bowl, beat the eggs with the flour until smooth.

Trim off the ends of the courgettes/zucchini, but don’t peel them. Grate the courgette/zucchini on the widest teeth of the grater, then squeeze out all of the water with your hands, and pile the courgette/zucchini all on top of the flour and egg mixture. Add the onion, feta, chillies/chiles, dried mint and fresh herbs and mix well with a large spoon or your hand. Season the mixture well with salt and pepper.

Heat a little sunflower oil in a heavy-based frying pan/skillet – don’t put in too much oil; you can always add more as you fry the patties. Place two to three spoonfuls of the courgette/zucchini mixture into the pan and fry over a medium heat for about two minutes each side, pressing the patties down a little with the spatula, so that they are flat but quite thick, lightly browned and firm. Cook the patties in batches, adding more oil to the pan when necessary; drain on paper towels, and keep the cooked ones warm under foil, or in a warm oven.

Arrange the patties on a serving dish, garnish with the reserved mint and serve with wedges of lemon to squeeze over them.

From The Levantine Table by Ghillie Basan (£25, Ryland Peters & Small), out now

Alison says: “In the summer our garden overflows with courgettes, and for weeks we have to come up with ingenious ways of using them. This is my favourite – the dressing is gentle but a little tangy, and a spoonful of this goes well with grilled sardines or roast ham. Make this dish your own by adding soft herbs such as tarragon, or stirring in crushed garlic and a smidge of honey for sweetness. It’s best eaten on the day you make it.”

Serves 4–6 as a side

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 3 yellow courgettes
• 3 green courgettes
• 2 tsp finer flaked
• sea salt

For the buttermilk citrus dressing:

• 1½ tsp poppy seeds
• 150ml/5fl oz buttermilk
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Juice of ½ orange
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• A good grind of black pepper, or to taste
• ¼ tsp finer flaked sea salt

Method

Carefully slice the courgettes into ribbons on a mandolin or with a ‘y’-shaped vegetable peeler, being careful of your hands. Scatter the salt onto the strips, then leave them to rest in a colander placed in the sink or standing on a plate to draw some of the water out for 1 hour.

Rinse the salt off the courgettes (taste some to check you have rinsed them enough), then pat completely dry with kitchen paper. You can store them like this in the fridge in a covered dish overnight, if needed.

To make the dressing, toast the poppy seeds in a hot, dry frying pan until fragrant, then transfer to a clean jam jar with the remaining ingredients. Cover the jar with the lid and shake well to combine.

Pile the courgettes onto a platter and drizzle with the shaken dressing. Serve immediately.

From Sea Salt by The Lea-Wilson Family (£26, White Lion Publishing), out now 

Lucy says: “Never overthink the composition of dishes containing egg, potato and cream. It’s bound to end well. Every time I make this, my ambition is to be transported to the counter at Flour and Stone in Sydney, where (along with all sorts of other divine baked goods) they sell a zucchini, chilli, cheese folded-over bun thing. This is not a bun, but it’s like wearing a shirt instead of a skirt in a similar print, capeesh?”

Ingredients

• 3 potatoes (big, fat and dirty), boiled until tender, peeled
• 5 eggs
• 125 ml single cream
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 80ml olive oil
• 2 small courgettes, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp chilli flakes
• 1 tbsp chopped oregano
• 1 tbsp chopped thyme
• 80g goat’s curd
• large handful of grated or sliced mozzarella
• asparagus or salad (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Roughly break up the potatoes into chunks.

Whisk the eggs and cream together.

Pan-fry the onion slices in two tablespoons of oil over low heat until soft. (You could do this in the pan you intend to bake in to save the kids some washing up.)

In a low-sided baking tin (about 35 cm x 25 cm/14 inch x 10 inch) or a flameproof casserole dish, toss the potato chunks with the remaining oil, the zuke, onion (with its oil), salt, chilli flakes, oregano and thyme.

Pour the egg and cream mixture over the top.

Position little dumplings of goat’s curd over the top and then cover haphazardly with mozzarella.

Bake for 30 minutes.

It can be eaten cold, but if you get it warm, time stops.

From Every Night of the Week by Lucy Tweed, (£16.99, Murdoch Books), out now