Courgettes (US: zucchini). They were brought to Europe from the New World in the 1600s. Choose small, firm vegetables and don’t store them before cooking them as they lose their flavour rapidly.
Cover halved courgettes (US: zucchini) with olive oil mixed with a little white wine vinegar and lots of finely chopped mint and red chillis. Season and marinate for a couple of days in the fridge. In Rome, they would be fried and then marinated in vinegar with salt and garlic.
"Courgettes in granny's style." Courgettes (US: zucchini) fried with beaten eggs, like a sort of loose omelette or frittata, with grated Parmesan cheese.
Stuffed courgettes (US: zucchini). Usually halved and stuffed with a mixture of garlic and parsley, or minced (US: ground) meat topped with breadcrumbs and cheese to ensure a crisp crust, and then baked.
A soup from Bolzano in Trentino-Alto Adige of tripe cooked in cream with a little vinegar and flavoured with bay leaves, often with spinach or watercress.
