Name: Courgette stalk “pasta” with hazelnut and herb pesto and Alpine cheese
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 2
Ingredients: 100g/3½oz toasted hazelnuts; 100g/3½oz mixed herbs (such as bronze fennel, lemon balm, anise hyssop, nasturtium leaves, basil); 2 tbsp rapeseed oil; 50��/1¾�ǳ� lemon verbena leaves; 6 courgette stalks approx. 50cm/20in in length, stringy parts removed, cut into 3cm/1in diagonal tubes to resemble pasta; 50��/1¾�ǳ� unsalted butter; 50��/1¾�ǳ� summerfield cheese, or other Alpine-style cheese, such as gruyere, finely grated; 1 tbsp nasturtium flowers (optional); 1 tbsp chive flowers (optional)

Courgette stalk “pasta” with hazelnut and herb pesto and Alpine cheese

Prepare: less than 30 mins
Cook: 10 to 30 mins
Serve: Serves 2

If you grow courgettes at home this is a great way to use the long hollow stalks.

By Tommy Banks

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Ingredients

hazelnuts: 100g/3½oz toasted hazelnuts
lemon balm: 100g/3½oz mixed herbs (such as bronze fennel, lemon balm, anise hyssop, nasturtium leaves, basil)
rapeseed oil: 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
lemon: 50��/1¾�ǳ� lemon verbena leaves
courgette: 6 courgette stalks approx. 50cm/20in in length, stringy parts removed, cut into 3cm/1in diagonal tubes to resemble pasta
butter: 50��/1¾�ǳ� unsalted butter
cheese cheese: 50��/1¾�ǳ� summerfield cheese, or other Alpine-style cheese, such as gruyere, finely grated
nasturtium: 1 tbsp nasturtium flowers (optional)
1 tbsp chive flowers (optional)

Method

Place the hazelnuts and herbs in a mini food processor and blend with the rapeseed oil to make a pesto.
Heat 150ml/5fl oz of water in a saucepan over a medium heat and drop in the lemon verbena leaves. Bring to the boil then add the courgette stalks and the butter and cook for 2 minutes.
Divide the courgette stalks between 2 plates and spoon over the buttery cooking liquor. Sprinkle over the Alpine-style cheese and garnish with the flowers, if using.