Salad, starter or side: Yotam Ottolenghi's courgette recipes

Courgettes seem to go in and out of fashion. One day, they’re on every recipe platform going, the next they disappear again as quietly and as subtly as they appeared. Retro courgette boats were definitely a thing once upon a time, but a few years back they were replaced by spiralised courgette “spaghetti” as a low-carb alternative to pasta. Regardless of where they land on the popularity meter, however, courgettes are always on my mind at this time of year; their versatility gives in to a light saute, a deep char or simply left to absorb whatever’s thrown at them in their truest, raw form.Grilled courgettes with warm yoghurt and saffron butter (pictured above)This dish is inspired by kousa b’laban, a Middle Eastern dish of stuffed baby marrow cooked in yoghurt sauce. This simplified version involves serving the warm sauce and grilled courgettes separately, with a quick saffron butter to spoon on top. If you don’t have saffron, a pinch of turmeric will do. Serve as a starter, or as a si...