Make ahead courgette salad aka Summer on a Plate.

I invented this salad as part of my Easter Sunday lunch one year. The joy of it is you can make it an hour or so before (in fact it's better if you do) so you don't have to worry about last minute timings. I love this with lamb, turkey or a vegetarian main course like a good quiche. It was such a success that I make it for every buffet I do now, especially as Hannah usually puts in a special request for it.

Courgette Salad.

Amounts are approximate as I tend to cook by eye and taste.

Ingredients.

Enough courgettes to provide two medium sized veg per person. If you are cooking for a large party you can reduce this to one per person as I find people eat less when there are loads of them. If I'm doing it as part of a weekday dinner I increase the amounts.
Good olive oil
Half a lemon for every four courgettes.
Fresh mint
Salt and pepper to taste (Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper please.)

1. Thinly slice the courgettes with a sharp knife or a mandoline (I'm scared of mine so I use the side of my grater).
2. Heat the olive oil in the biggest frying pan you have, a wok is ideal.
3. Fry the courgettes on a medium heat for a few minutes until most of them have some brown marks on them. Do not worry if some are less cooked as the lemon juice will finish the process. Add a generous sprinkling of finely chopped fresh mint before you stir them one last time and remove from the heat.
4. Squeeze the lemon juice over the cooked courgettes, add salt and pepper, stir and cover.
5. Leave the flavours to soak into each other.

I like to serve this at room temperature but if you made it a long time ahead and wanted to refrigerate it that would work too. I love this dish, it always tastes to me like summer on a plate.