shrimp and summer garden salad recipe

I make this often in July and August when we have plenty of courgettes, tomatoes and basil growing in the garden. It looks and tastes best with mixed-colour courgettes and a variety of different tomatoes – some sweet and some more acid – to give a great range of flavour. The shrimps add plenty of healthy protein and are very sustaining.

For 8 as a main, 12 as a starter

• A little cold-pressed rapeseed oil for oiling
• 800g courgettes
• 1kg tomatoes, chopped into chunks
• 500g cooked brown shrimps
• 60g bunch of basil, leaves removed and roughly torn

For the dressing

• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• Sea salt and black pepper

Top and tail and cut the larger courgettes lengthways into 1cm slices. If the courgettes are small with the flower still on, remove the flower and put aside to add at the end (after removing the central stigma). Leave small courgettes whole or cut in half lengthways.

Oil a griddle lightly with rapeseed oil and then heat until you cannot count to ten with your hand hovering just above it. Griddle the courgettes for about 3 minutes on either side, depending on size, and put in a large shallow bowl. Add the tomatoes to the courgettes. Scatter in the shrimps and basil.

For the dressing, mix the oil with lemon zest and juice and season with salt and pepper. Dress the salad, and toss well before serving.