One of the fastest growing and maturing plants in the average person's garden is the zucchini. Mid-summer brings the beginning of the countless number of zucchini from the prolific plant. This squash can go from the size of a small cucumber to the size of a baseball bat overnight. Many don't know the zucchini is often referred to as a vegetable but is actually a fruit.
The zucchini can be found with both edible green or yellow skins. However, you will need to seed the squash when preparing to for food. The zucchini most probably originated from Italy in the mid-19th century. Roughly translated, zucchini means "diminutive squash."
Each year I try and come up with different recipes for the zucchini because you can only make so much of the commonly baked zucchini bread. For example, I have made 'mock' apple bars, cream of zucchini soup, or stuff them with marinara sauce to name a few. It seems every year more and more people come up with different uses.
My mom used to make endless loaves of zucchini bread each summer. You could find loaves in our freezer at any time of the year. This is her recipe. I have, however, made a minor adjustment to it by adding the mini-chocolate chips in place of nuts.
Zucchini Bread
3 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups zucchini; grated
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup walnut halves; chopped or mini-chocolate chips
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1. Beat eggs, oil, and sugar. Add in zucchini.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet.
3. Add the nuts or chocolate chips.
4. Pour into greased and lined loaf pan.
5. Bake 325 degrees for 55-65 minutes.
