Rustic courgette bake

This weekend we have finally pulled up the last courgette plant of the season, as part of the tidy up a couple of large courgettes were discovered in the undergrowth. So this recipe makes the best of the last of this seasonal bounty, with its roots fairly in the Mediterranean this dish gives a heavy nod towards Lancashire too as its features lots of local produce.

I love dishes like this where everything is placed in one pot and the oven does all the work, if you haven't got some homemade tomato sauce to hand then a jar of quality passata works great. I also raided the herb garden for my herbs, selecting sage, rosemary and thyme and a little oregano to be added to the dish.

What you need

• Couple of courgettes, washed and sliced length ways into strips
• 1 large red onion - peeled and sliced into finely fine halves (local grown)
• 1 jar passata or similar quantity of homemade tomato sauce (homemade)
• Selection of fresh herbs - rustically chopped (homegrown)
• Salt and pepper
• Local Cheddar cheese - coarsely grated (local)
• Yogurt - thick Greek style (local) about 200 ml
• 1 egg - free range (home laid)
• Large cast iron skillet / ovenproof dish
• Oil (olive or rapeseed)

What you do

• Preheat the oven to 200c (fan)/ 220c (non fan)
• Add a little oil to pan and gently saute to courgette strips and onions.
• Now layer up with tomato sauce on the base, courgettes and onions, herbs, and then repeat.
• Mix the yogurt and egg together, top of the dish and then finish with grated cheese
• Strew with more herbs
• Bake for 20 - 30 minutes until golden and bubbling and the courgettes are meltingly soft
• Serve with crusty bread for mopping up all the lovely juices

                         

We are linking up to Cooking With Herbs - who's theme this month is Scarborough Fair. This dish contains Sage, Rosemary and thyme, created by the lovely Karen over at Lavender and Lovage and hosted by her too this month.

                                                   

                                                                 

We are also linking up to Extra Veg hosted this month by A Mummy too

                                                      

And finally Simple and in Season created by Reb Behan and hosted this month by her too.

                                                            

Rustic plum cornmeal cake

This summer has been fairly poor for our Marjorie plum tree, a reasonable crop was developing but then we had a freak wind storm, followed by drought and then rain, so I had to do battle with the local wasps to snaffle enough plums to make this cake. I love English plums but the season is very short and unless you can get your hands on a supply from a generous local grower making jam or any type of preserve can be an expensive business.

I decided to make this cake to showcase my plums and combine them with a tasty polenta cake recipe I had been meaning to bake for sometime. The plums impart a delicious moist tang to each slice and provide colour to a very plain bake.

Stunningly simple and very rustic this cake needs no more embellishment than a light dusting with icing sugar.

So lets bake and create a beauty

What you need

• Oil Spray for the tin
• Couple of English plums - cut into segments, stoned removed
• 175g softened salted butter
• 225g caster sugar
• 3 eggs - free range, beaten
• 150g fine cornmeal / polenta (ensure gluten free)
• 100g gluten free flour - plain
• 2 tsp xanthum gum
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• Icing Sugar (optional)

Round loose bottomed cake tin - oil sprayed and base lined 

What you do

• Pre heat the oven to 180c
• Cream the butter and sugar in a stand mixer until light and fluffy
• Now add the rest of the ingredients (except the plums and icing sugar) to the mixture and mix until well incorporated.
• Pour into the prepared tin and artistically arrange to plum segments on the top of the cake
• Place in the oven and bake for 40-50 minutes until golden, well risen.
• Cool in the tin
• Once cool remove from tin and serve (optionally sprinkled with icing sugar)

I am linking up to this months Alphabakes hosted by Caroline Makes and The More than the occasional baker in rotation. This month's them is P - for plums and polenta in my case.

And also bake of the week created by Casa Costello and hosted this week by Hay in a Day