Zucchini soup with ricotta and olives

The courgette originally comes from Central America and was brought to Europe by sailors after 1492. However, the courgette as we know it was first cultivated in Northern Italy. It seems that this took place in the second half of the eighteenth century. The first description of the 'zucchini' can only be found in 1901 in the book 'Orticoltura' by Domenico Tamaro (1859-1939. Even in Mediterranean cuisine, the courgette is therefore a relative newcomer. The courgette eventually took the place of the young gourd, which until then was number one .

A courgette has a mild flavour and to really bring out that flavour, high-calorie dairy products or strong herbs and spices are not really necessary. The creaminess of this courgette soup is the result of pureeing the ingredients. The onions and garlic complement the flavour of the courgette perfectly.

Ingredients:
- 500 grams of courgettes - 100 grams of onions, cut into quarters - 1 clove of garlic - 250 millilitres of extra virgin olive oil - 400 millilitres of water - Sea salt and pepper to taste - 100 grams of ricotta - 60 g of pitted and sliced black olives

Preparation:
- Wash the courgettes and cut them into pieces of about two centimetres wide.
- Peel and chop the onion and garlic. Heat the extra virgin olive oil and fry the onion and garlic until translucent.
- Add the courgette pieces and fry them for about two minutes, stirring.
- Add enough water to almost cover the courgettes.
- Bring everything to the boil and let it simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Add the ricotta and puree everything with the hand blender.
- Bring the soup to the boil again and season with some salt and pepper.
- Add the sliced olives to the soup and sprinkle the soup generously with extra virgin olive oil just before serving.

This summer soup can be served (and eaten) warm or chilled.