Courgette/Marrow, Basil, & Goat’s Cheese Soup
Serves 2-4, depending on hunger or the meal plan
Take about two pounds of courgette or marrow, dice and brown it off with butter or oil in a wide saucepan with a few sliced garlic cloves. The cooking time varies depending on the courgette/marrow, but the basic idea is to reduce the water content, leaving only the delicious fleshy pulp.
Once the water is all but gone, make sure the pulp is nice and fine by squashing it up with a potato masher. Once happy with the consistency, melt in three heaped tablespoons of good quality salted goat’s cheese. While the cheese is melting, heat a pint or so of milk and pour into the marrow mix when it’s simmering hot. No stock is necessary, but some chicken stock with half the amount of milk would work just as well if you’d prefer. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle torn basil leaves into the soup before one last stir, and then serve.
Courgette/marrow is a wonderful flavour for summer, as is goat’s cheese. And on grim foggy days, I can think of no better way to celebrate those flavours than with the alchemical magic of soup.
(Optional: When seasoning, perhaps try adding some dried chili flakes as well, works a treat!)
Blane Valley Allotments 