Zucchini Bread

One of my favorite squashes is the humble zucchini, also known as the courgette . This summer squash has a mild flavor, bright green edible skin, and is delicious in stir frys, pasta dishes, grated into salads, and even in baked goods.

I grew up in a home that featured a huge garden in the backyard and inevitably, every summer we would find ourselves up to our ears in zucchini. My favorite way to consume this bounty was in heavenly quick bread form. Grating up a couple of these suckers and throwing them into a sweet bread makes for a satisfying treat that is dense, moist, and really tasty. It is also a great way to trick children and other picky eaters into enjoying a vegetable!

[box]Zucchini Bread

Makes 2 loaves

1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup apple sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs or egg replacer of your choice
1/3 cup water
2 1/2 cups of grated zucchini
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine oil, eggs, water, zucchini and lemon juice.
Mix wet ingredients into dry.
Pour into 2 standard loaf pans, sprayed with nonstick spray and sprinkle 1/4 cups of nuts on top of each.
Bake for 45 mins, or until a tester comes out clean. Alternately, bake in 5 mini loaf pans for about 30 minutes.

This recipe freezes well, so if you want to save a loaf, let it cool completely and then seal it in airtight packaging, label it with a sharpie, and throw it in the freezer. I’ve found that quick breads like this will keep well for around 2-3 months. When ready to consume, let it thaw in your fridge or on the counter top.

Recipe adapted from the original by Paula Deen

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