it is that time of year again. Summer is in full swing, and I am wondering why I did not plant a garden. herbs! fresh tomatoes! how delightful! teeny, tiny, baby carrots! zucchini! oh, wait. That is why I did not plant a garden. If you grow one zucchini plant, you will have enough zucchini to give to your relatives, friends, acquaintances, and strangers on the street for months. Twice this week the same neighbor has brought us five zucchini. He is usually overwhelming in neighborliness, as we let him use our land to plant corn and sunflowers and raise a cow to two and pigs or six. That results in half a cow's worth of beef and far more sausage than any one family might eat.
Still, everyone I know is on the hunt for different ways to use zucchini without everything tasting like zucchini. We grill it, last night I roasted it with tomatoes, carrots, green beans, olive oil, cumin & chili powder, any way you want it, just to keep it from going to waste. In the annals of Reid family recipes, gathered in binders, old fashioned recipe boxes, and on this blog, we have multiple zucchini recipes. This one may be my favorite. Recently, it masqueraded as a delicious Banana Bread recipe, but one substitution and three additions turn it into a tender bread of the sweet and flavorful variety. I doubled the recipe so as to share {and pass on the constant zucchini wares}
Zucchini Bread (two loaves)
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
vanilla
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups shredded zucchini (about 2 or three medium zucchini)
1 cup chopped pecans (if desired)
Mix together the milk and vinegar, let sit aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugars and butter, then add the eggs, milk mixture and vanilla individually. Next add the dry ingredients. Finally, stir in the zucchini.
{It is often easier to peel and shred the zucchini first, letting it sit aside to drain out the excess water. I personally do not mind leaving the skin on, but many people don't particularly care for green bits in sweet bread. You can use a knife or vegetable peeler, but one's knife skills only become better with practice, so I suggest practicing on zucchini. If you have extra shredded zucchini, just pop it in a zipper bag and freeze, then you'll have wintertime zucchini.}
Once the batter is combined, divide evenly and pour into two sprayed/greased glass loaf pans {9x3.5x5 or so}. Bake in a preheated 300 degree oven for 90 minutes. yes, and hour and a half. minimum. Two weeks ago, the banana version of this recipe took 85 minutes. Today, the zucchini took an hour and forty-five minutes. When an inserted knife comes out clean, remove the pans from the oven and run a knife around the edge. Jiggle the loaf pan up and down to see that the loaf it loose, then invert and slide the loaf out. Allow to cool at least marginally before slicing, slathering in butter, and eating.
"Be well. Do good work. Keep in touch." - Garrison Keillor
Still, everyone I know is on the hunt for different ways to use zucchini without everything tasting like zucchini. We grill it, last night I roasted it with tomatoes, carrots, green beans, olive oil, cumin & chili powder, any way you want it, just to keep it from going to waste. In the annals of Reid family recipes, gathered in binders, old fashioned recipe boxes, and on this blog, we have multiple zucchini recipes. This one may be my favorite. Recently, it masqueraded as a delicious Banana Bread recipe, but one substitution and three additions turn it into a tender bread of the sweet and flavorful variety. I doubled the recipe so as to share {and pass on the constant zucchini wares}
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
vanilla
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups shredded zucchini (about 2 or three medium zucchini)
1 cup chopped pecans (if desired)
Mix together the milk and vinegar, let sit aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugars and butter, then add the eggs, milk mixture and vanilla individually. Next add the dry ingredients. Finally, stir in the zucchini.
{It is often easier to peel and shred the zucchini first, letting it sit aside to drain out the excess water. I personally do not mind leaving the skin on, but many people don't particularly care for green bits in sweet bread. You can use a knife or vegetable peeler, but one's knife skills only become better with practice, so I suggest practicing on zucchini. If you have extra shredded zucchini, just pop it in a zipper bag and freeze, then you'll have wintertime zucchini.}
Once the batter is combined, divide evenly and pour into two sprayed/greased glass loaf pans {9x3.5x5 or so}. Bake in a preheated 300 degree oven for 90 minutes. yes, and hour and a half. minimum. Two weeks ago, the banana version of this recipe took 85 minutes. Today, the zucchini took an hour and forty-five minutes. When an inserted knife comes out clean, remove the pans from the oven and run a knife around the edge. Jiggle the loaf pan up and down to see that the loaf it loose, then invert and slide the loaf out. Allow to cool at least marginally before slicing, slathering in butter, and eating.
"Be well. Do good work. Keep in touch." - Garrison Keillor
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