Alfresco F1 is the ultimate non-soggy courgette!  This is the perfect choice for grilling, roasting, frying thin slices… These are firm fruits that are naturally drier than most others, thus they hold their own in cooking and can also be used for a crunch in salads.  Pale creamy-green fruits are simply superb

Price for 6 seeds

SOW: from mid-April to end of May, under cover or on a windowsill, 1 seed per pot, seed depth 2cm.

GROW: keep moist, but not waterlogged, harden off and plant out after all danger of frost has passed.  In cooler areas you can protect young plants with cloches until they have settled in.  Courgettes are trouble free and prolific - keep an eye on them and keep picking!  Alfresco in an open plant - easy to see & pick

EAT: the pale creamy-green firm fruits that are naturally drier than most others, thus they hold their own in cooking (even sliced thinly before frying) and can also be diced and added as a crunch in salads. 

This is a popular courgette that it is very reliable. It produces lots of dark green fruit that are best cut at about 10cm long. You do need to keep an eye on them or they will grow much bigger! If you regularly harvest them it will crop over a long period. 

This is an early variety with lovely flavoured deep green fruits. Ideal if you can hardly wait for your courgette harvest to start. 

Deep yellow, almost golden, easy to spot fruits nestling in a bushy plant. These are very tasty and appear in profusion. We like to pick them on the young side (20cm long or so) which encourages even more to appear! This variety hails from Poland. 

Enjoy heirloom flavour and reliability packed in every pale green fruit all summer long. These are delicious in salads (picked at plumb thump thickness) and tasty in every recipe we have tried. This variety originates in northern Italy                                 

Encourage your Black Forest plants to scramble up a trellis, fence or netting (tie in the stems regularly to help support the weight of the fruits) and see your crop of rich green smooth fruits developing before your eyes.  With sturdy support your plants can reach the dizzying heights of 1-2m and allow you more ground space for other crops.  This height also makes it one of the easiest courgettes to harvest at the optimum size that you prefer.6 seeds)

What size is best?

You can eat courgettes raw in salads – for this you need to pick them when immature at about the size and length of your little finger.  These can be crunched as they are or cut them and use them like carrot sticks and eat with dips & humus

For roasting courgette sticks pick the fruits at about 15cm and cut lengthways in half and half again (into 4 long pieces).  Drizzle these with oil (or spray with a 1cal spray) & scatter with herbs.  For a stronger flavoured dressing try balsamic vinear 7/or marmite!  At this size the will take about 20 mins at 190°C

For pan frying or grilling rings then you can harvest at a larger size and simply slice the fruits

Beautiful pale green mottled fruit produced in profusion on an open plant.  This is a Lebanese type variety with a gently nutty, almost almond, flavour.  Why not try a Kousa mahshi recipe – stuffed courgette cooked in tomato.

SOW & GROW: 1 seed per pot. Keep moist, but not waterlogged. Start seeds in April and May, ready to transplant after 4 weeks (protect from frost).  Fruit from June onwards

EAT: serves 2 – 500g courgette – hollow out to leave 10mm thickness.  A basic stuffing mix of 50g finely chopped onions, 50g chopped toms, fresh parsley, 100g uncooked basmati (washed) & 1tbs olive oil. Stuff to about ¾ full.  In a large pan: oil the base, layer 250g sliced toms, 1 crushed garlic, then the stuffed courgettes topped with 1tsp ground allspice, touch of salt, & 1tbs tom paste mixed with 500ml veg or chicken stock poured to cover.  Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 1 hour allowing the sauce to reduce.

Vary the stuffing with minced meat, mint, coriander, cumin… serve with yogurt

COURGETTE COSTATA ROMANESCO ~ this vining heirloom produced fluted fruits with a rich nutty flavour 6 seeds SOW: late April to the end of May, under cover or on a window sill, 1 seed per pot. GROW: keep moist, but not waterlogged, harden off and plant out after all danger of frost has passed. Costata Romanesco will need a bit more space as it will vine: it is possible to tie these in to a trellis and grow upwards rather than outwards! In cooler areas you can protect young plants with cloches until they have settled in. Not as prolific as some but very well flavoured. EAT: scalloped slices are lovely pan fried or grilled – sprinkle with black pepper or herbs and a pinch of salt if so desired. Small fruits are perfect for salads or cook them whole. Firm fruits can be diced or sliced for freezing

Prolific, giving you a continuous supply through the season. Just remember to keep picking them. Their distinctive shape, easy to find yellow colouring, delicious flavour and firm texture make them an all round winner.