ADAPT August recipe

After a dreadful winter and dire spring it is surprising how well some plants are doing now. Soft fruit and roses in particular are good, but sweet peas are terrible. Some plants, like runner beans have made a late start but are catching up now.

Bees, butterflies and pollinating insects are abundant now after a late start. The marjoram is covered with butterflies and bees, but there are fewer bees on the bergamot than there were last year.

There's a great variety of vegetables to pick in the garden at this time of the year, including lots of courgettes, so this month's recipe, which got a hearty thumbs up when I made it this week is Courgette and Lemon tray bake

COURGETTE AND LEMON TRAY BAKE

Ingredients

250g margarine or softened butter.
2 small or 1 large lemon
200g castor sugar
3 eggs
Approx 300g grated courgette, including skin. (About 1 ½-2 courgettes.)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
200g plain flour
2 rounded teaspoons baking powder

For the Lemon Drizzle
90g icing sugar
Lemon juice

Method

Heat the oven to 180C
Grease an oblong tin approx 20cm X 33cm (8"X13") and line the base with baking parchment.
Wash the lemons well. Zest them and reserve the zest. Squeeze the juice and reserve also.
Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl.
Add the eggs and vanilla and beat in.
Add the flour and baking powder, mix well.
Add the grated courgette and lemon zest and mix thoroughly.
Spoon the mixture into the tin, smooth and bake for approx 25 minutes, until lightly browned. It should spring back when touched.

To make the Lemon Drizzle

While the cake is baking mix the icing sugar into the reserved lemon juice and warm slightly until the icing sugar has dissolved.
As soon as the cake is out of the oven brush the lemon juice mixture over the cake and let it soak in.

This is a very moist cake. I would keep it in the fridge.

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