The Cottage Smallholder

Courgette, onion and tomato bake

1 medium onion

knob of butter

4 tomatoes

2 medium courgettes

600ml/ 1 pint cheese sauce

salt and pepper

grated cheese and dried breadcrumbs to sprinkle

Peel and slice the onion. Cook until tender in a little margarine. Plunge the tomatoes into boiling water, peel and slice. Slice courgettes thickly.

Layer courgettes, onion and tomato then cheese sauce. season well and repeat the layers. Finish with grated cheese and dried breadcrumbs and bake 180C, 350F, gas mark 4. For 30 mins.

Courgette and mushroom dish

4 medium courgettes                                       1 clove of garlic crushed

225 - 350 g / 8-12 large mushrooms                  about 3 tablespoons of cream

4 tblsp fresh breadcrumbs                                 SAUCE

1 egg                                                              40g / 1 1/2oz flour

2 heaped teasp chopped chives                          40g / 1 1/2oz butter

2 heaped teasp chopped parsley                         40g / 1 1/2oz cheese

1 small onion chopped                                        about 300ml / 1/2 pint milk

                                                                       salt and pepper

                                                                       40 -50g / 1 1/2 - 2oz grated cheese for the topping

Cut the ends off the courgettes and cook in boiling water for 5-10 mins depending on the size. Cut in half lengthways and scoop out a little of the flesh. Take the stalks off the mushrooms. Arrange the eight courgette halves like the spokes of a wheel in a round ovenproof dish and put the mushrooms between the spokes.

Mix the courgette flesh, chopped mushroom stalks, breadcrumbs, beaten egg, herbs and garlic and add enough cream to make a rather moist stuffing. Spread the stuffing over the courgettes and mushrooms.

Make a sauce with the flour, butter, cheese and enough milk to give a fairly thick but pourable consistency. Season to taste, spoon over courgettes and mushrooms, sprinkle with grated cheese all over.Bake 190C/ 375F/ gas mark 5. Until golden and bubbling about 20 mins.