Its Summer time - Zucchini time

     


This is how my family likes zucchini best, in quick breads! So with the abundance I got from our CSA share each week I was scrambling for recipe ideas. I can only serve baked zucchini, cucumber salad, and squash casserole so many times to them. 

     So onto zucchini breads. I tried 3 new recipes this summer - a chocolate that was a favorite until I made the lemon, and a pecan zucchini bread that unfortunately turned out to be a waste of good pecans! In addition to several loaves in the freezer and a few shared loaves, I also froze several packages shredded zucchini pre-measured into 2 cups for future preparations. I like to use a quick bread recipe that makes 2 loaves at a time, so I've adjusted recipes to that yield. 

Here are our favorites (the pecan zucchini bread recipe was tossed, along with the bread!)

CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI BREAD

(This recipe is from the third Taste of Kansas 4-H cookbook published in the 1990's. It is full of good recipes!)

Ingredients:

3 eggs, beaten

1 cup oil

2 cups sugar

1 Tablespoon vanilla

2 cups zucchini, peeled and shredded

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon baking powder

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix beaten eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla. Stir in zucchini. In another bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, salt, soda, cinnamon, and baking powder. Add to zucchini mixture and mix well. Pour into two greased 8 ½ x 4 ½ . 2 ½ inch loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour. Let cool. Remove bread from loaf pans and sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired. 

LEMON ZUCCHINI BREAD           

Ingredients:

3 1/3 cups AP flour

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 ½ cup granulated sugar

4 Tbs. lemon zest

1 cup canola oil

4 large eggs

½ cup plain Greek yogurt

2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

2 cup finely shredded zucchini

Lemon glaze: 2/3 cup powdered sugar + 1 ½ tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Instructions:

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter/oil 2 loaf pans (8x4) and lightly dust with flour, shake our excess, set aside. In a medium mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.

2.    In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix sugar with lemon zest for 30 seconds. Add oil and eggs and mix until combined. Pour in half of the flour mixture then blend just until combined. Add Greek yogurt and lemon juice and mix just until combined, then add in remaining half of the flour mixture and mix just until nearly combined. Remove bowl from stand mixer, add zucchini and fold into mixture using a spatula. Pour mixture into prepared loaf pans. Bake in preheated oven about 45-48 minutes. Let cool in baking pan for a few minutes then invert into a wire rack to cool completely. Once loaves are nearly cool, drizzle with lemon glaze. Store in an airtight container.