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COURGETTE, SPELT AND CUMIN FRITTERS

These fritters make a lovely summery meal – fresh, vibrant and full of nutrients. They are simple to make and if you choose a vegan cheese they can be vegan friendly, too. Try to use whole spices rather than ground, toasting them and crushing them when required; the flavour is much more intense. The cashew salad adds a lovely richness to the dish.

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 25 minutes, plus 30 minutes salting

Cooking time: about 50 minutes

5 green courgettes, 4 coarsely grated (around 1kg total grated weight)

2 tsp table salt

1 yellow courgette, sliced into ribbons

80g cashew nuts, roasted and roughly chopped

FOR THE FRITTERS

100g spelt

4 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for frying

4 shallots, finely diced

1 garlic clove, finely grated

2 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted and crushed

4 tbsp plain flour, plus extra for coating

grated zest of ½ lemon

3 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

70g grated vegan cheese or Cheddar cheese

½ tsp English mustard powder

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE VINAIGRETTE

4 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

½ tsp wholegrain mustard

Put the grated courgette in a colander, sprinkle with the 2 teaspoons of table salt and toss to distribute the salt. Set the colander over a bowl or the sink and leave for 30 minutes to drain.

Cook the spelt according to the packet instructions. Drain well. Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the shallots and garlic and cook for 5–7 minutes until soft but not browned. Add the cumin, mix well, then transfer to a bowl.

Put the grated courgettes in a clean tea towel and squeeze out as much of the liquid as possible. Tip them into the bowl with the shallots and garlic. Add the flour and lemon zest and mix well. Add 2 tablespoons of the chopped parsley, the cheese, cooked spelt, mustard powder and a generous twist of black pepper. Fry a little of the mix in a pan with a little oil, taste to check the seasoning and add more salt if necessary. Shape the mixture into 12 balls, then flatten into patties.

To make the vinaigrette, whisk the olive oil, white wine vinegar and wholegrain mustard together in a bowl. Set aside. Slice the remaining green courgette into circles then mix with the yellow ribbons, the remaining chopped parsley and the cashew nuts.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add half the patties and fry for about 5 minutes on each side, until golden on the outside and cooked through. Repeat with the remaining patties.

To serve, place two fritters on each plate, dress the courgette ribbons and rounds with the vinaigrette, season with sea salt and pepper and serve alongside the fritters.