Courgette Fries with Roast Garlic Aioli

There is a house opposite mine that doesn’t open its curtains. Ever. I've been observing it for months now. I thought perhaps it was empty at first, then worried that someone had died in it and was just lying there, morbid I know... But there's a cat, that sits in the window, and it doesn’t look distressed or hungry, perhaps a bit bored, but generally ok. No lights ever come on at night. The other odd thing is that the velux window in the roof is wide open. Come rain or shine, in frost, in storms, high winds... Wide open. Are there people in there? Have they just forgotten it is open? The carpet must be soaked... Maybe they are growing a forest of marijuana in the loft and they need ventilation? Is there anyone in there? Someone must feed the cat? I've never seen anyone use the front door, and the curtains never even so much as twitch...

Until today... They have opened one set of curtains... I have seen a fleeting glimpse of a man and a light on. I've seen movement at the back of the dark room a few times as I have tried to stare discreetly into their house. Why don't they close the velux?! Am I obsessing over my neighbours perhaps... Perhaps.

So I stood in the kitchen and made some courgette fries with roast garlic aioli and watched for further movement or clues! The recipe is from a lovely blog I found this week, A Cozy Kitchen, it's cute, I have blog envy... I thought these looked incredibly unhealthy and naughty at first but actually they really aren’t, they are coated courgettes, baked, not even fried. The aioli is probably a bit naughty, but you need it...

Start by roasting three cloves of garlic in the oven, tossed in a little oil and salt, still in their skins. You want them to be soft and gooey, they should take about 10 minutes at 200°C.

While they are roasting cut three courgettes into batons. Wizz up some stale bread into bread crumbs, mine was a little fresh so went a bit sticky, a few slices... Add a tablespoon of finely grated parmesan, a pinch of salt and pepper, half a teaspoon of dried oregano and half a teaspoon of chilli flakes. Whisk an egg, then dip each piece of courgette into the egg then the breadcrumb mix. Line them up on a baking tray on greaseproof and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes at 210°C until golden.

While they are baking take the roast garlic out of their skins and mash them to a paste with some salt and pepper, add 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise and a splash of olive oil and mix everything up. Dip the hot creamy courgettes with their crunchy, spicy, cheesy crust into the roast garlic aioli and enjoy.

As I'm munching on the tasty fries a light comes on in the mysterious house opposite and I can see right in as it's beginning to get dark. There's no sign of any people...