March 10, 2010
zucchinitwo

as a child, zucchini bread mystified me. i had no idea what the zucchini part actually was. it seemed more like cinnamon bread if you asked me. (apparently i missed the green specks. good thing.) i loved it. and smeared with butter, it was 50 times better. zucchini sounded like a very grown up word, and i was thrilled to have acquired a taste for such a sophisticated thing. it was an exciting day whenever mom made it.

even today, it is still exciting. i was so happy when i remembered that my freezer was stocked with zucchini from the farmers' market. yay! the next step was obvious: tesa's zucchini bread. it was my friend tesa who introduced me to the best banana bread, so i knew i could trust her completely when it came to my childhood favorite.


Classic Zucchini Bread from tesa

1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon (i think i did closer to 2 tsp.)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 c. sugar
1 c. shredded, unpeeled zucchini
1/4 c. oil
1 egg
1/4 tsp. grated lemon zest
1/4 c. chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

1. grease a loaf pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees. sift together first 6 ingredients; set aside.
2. combine sugar, zucchini, oil, egg, and lemon zest; mix well.
3. add dry mixture to zucchini mixture and stir just until moistened. batter should be lumpy.
4. spoon batter into prepared pan and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
5. cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pan to cool on wire rack. wrap in foil to store. freezes well.
note: i substituted 1/4 of the all-purpose flour for wheat flour, and added a tablespoon of milled flax, to make it a tad healthier.

what you get: a completely definitive, satisfying version of my fave. it is perfect in its simplicity. moist, sweet, and spicey. and i just have to say: how happy it is that we can make something so good from an ordinary vegetable. cool.

5 comments:

Christina said...

I <3 the new recipe format. : ) "what you need," "what you do," "what you get." So, so clever. I'll have to try this version next summer when everyone is offering me garden zucchini!

Anonymous said...

I've never tried zucchini bread, but this looks amazing! I wish I'd known about it last summer when I had CSA zukes coming out my ears.

Also--have you tried Deb's banana bread? It's in heavy rotation over here lately.

Sharon said...

I would love to know how your froze your zucchini...we always have a ton of it in our garden!

nataliep. said...

can't wait to try this. i'm with you, as a kid i never really understood carrot in carrot cake and zucchini in zucchini cake, but boy does it add such moisture! thanks for sharing this recipe.

marta said...

thank you, thank you. our neighbor gives us HUGE zucchinis and i never know how to use them up deliciously. can't wait to give this a go. xo.

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about this blog

Hello, I'm Summer. A people-loving introvert whose hope and life is in Jesus. His promises are my passion and my ministry is homelife. This blog is a place for me to write about everyday things. Especially food. My favorite thing to do is sit around a table, lingering over a long meal with good conversation. I live with my husband and our 2 littles. We like blizzards, thrifting, grammar, guacamole, cheerful hearts, nice manners, good movies, and making simple, real, nutrient-dense food.

"If Christ be anything, He must be everything."
-C.H. Spurgeon

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