Continental Courgettes

4 small courgettes (about 350 g/12 oz), washed and trimmed
salt
grated rind and juice of 1/2 lemon
1 hard-boiled egg, chopped
2 tablespoons cottage cheese
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped mint
25 g/1 oz shelled walnuts, chopped
pinch of paprika
freshly ground black pepper
Garnish:
lettuce leaves
lemon twists or mint leaves

Cook the whole courgettes in boiling, salted water for 5 minutes, then drain well. Cut in half lengthways and, using a teaspoon, scoop out a channel in the centre. Finely chop the scooped-out flesh and set aside in a bowl.
Put the lemon rind and juice into a bowl, and add the courgette shells. Leave them to marinate in the mixture until quite cold.
Stir the chopped egg into the chopped courgette flesh with the cottage cheese, mint, walnuts, paprika, salt and pepper and a little of the marinade to moisten.
Arrange 2 courgette shells on a bed of lettuce on each serving plate. Pile the egg mixture into the centre of the courgettes, then garnish each serving with a lemon twist or mint leaf. Serve with thinly sliced wholemeal bread.
SERVES 4