Zucchini Bread

How many zucchini so does it take to make bread?  All of two big gourds! What do I do with the rest! Fried, grilled, stir-fried and curried versions pop up with regularity. Fried are by far the favorites. As these babies multiply faster than I can a pick them, so some baking action has to be implemented. The hot oven is been a blessing and curse. The dog days of summer have left me perspiring over loaf pans! I do have them in many sizes, from mini pans to ten inch rectangular ceramic ones. I have put them all to use. Buttered and battered, loaf pans yield a continuous stream of zucchini flecked loaves. 

I haven't been this busy for a few years as in the past few years my zucchini plants haven't been fruitful at all. This summer is a turn around. Four glorious plants steadily supply me flowers and fruit. I give away big batons. And I grate a lot into the bread. It is the ease of recipe I love. Flour, baking powder, salt, lemon zest and sugar are whisked in one big bowl, eggs and oil beaten in another. One goes into the other, along with grated zucchini. The batter is either divided into small pans or piled into one big loaf pan. The aroma of baking loaves fills the house.

ZUCCHINI BREAD

Makes 1 big loaf or 4 mini loaves

1-2 large Zucchini 

3 cups all purpose Flour

4 1/2 teaspoons Baking powder 

1 teaspoon Salt

1 1/2 cups Sugar

2 teaspoons Lemon zest

4 Eggs

2/3 cup Canola Oil

Nonstick Spray or Butter for pans

Grate zucchini so you have about 2-2 1/2 cups. The food processor makes grating a snap.

Butter or spray one 8 or 10 inch loaf pan. Or 4 mini 5 inch loaf pans.

Heat oven to 350F.

Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and lemon zest till combined.

Break eggs into a bowl. Whisk till frothy.

Add oil into eggs and mix.

Make a well in the center of flour mix and pour egg mix in the center. Gently mix.

Add zucchini and stir till batter is moist.

Spoon batter into pan of choice.

Bake for 45- 55 minutes for a loaf pan. Mini loaf pans bake for 40-45 minutes. 

Test loaf with a skewer. If the skewer has batter on it continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes. The skewer should emerge clean.

Remove bread from oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. 

Run a blunt knife around the insides of the pan and invert bread out onto rack.  Turn over and let loaf cool.

Slice and enjoy.

One of the joys of baking so many loaves is giving them away. I take some to a friend at the museum. My neighbor gets a loaf and some go into the freezer for an extended shelf life. That's lucky for the visitor who plans to drop by next weekend!!! 

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