Most Wonderful Time of the Year

 

Forget Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years, 4^th of July- the end of August, early September is the most wonderful time of the year. It has finally arrived and I couldn’t be more excited.  After taking a trip out to my parent’s garden, I felt like a little kid in a candy store. Zucchini, summer squash, eggplant, tomatoes, sweet corn, cucumbers, cabbage, green onion, basil, thyme, chives, my oh my. 

 

After a few months of eating highly processed, sodium filled meals out of a box, the food snob in me came out in full force today.  My dad and I canned some pickles and with the overwhelming amount of zucchini, I decided it was a perfect day to bake up some zucchini bread.  Nothing special, but it is the first time in months I have attempted to use my culinary skills.  Honestly, I was a little shaky. Quick breads are one of the first things we learned to make in school; so this was the ideal way to test the waters. 

Zucchini Bread Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 cups grated fresh zucchini
• 2/3 cup melted unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• Pinch salt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
• 1 cup dried cranberries or raisins (optional)

  Method:

 

        

1. Grate the zucchini.

2. Combine sugar, eggs, and vanilla.

3. Add the (melted) butter.

4. Slowly add flour, one cup at a time.

Make sure not to over mix. This will causing tunneling in the final product.

 5. Fold in raisins & walnuts

 

6. Pour batter into 2 buttered loaf pans.

7. Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for 45-60 minutes.

One of my loaves was done after 45 and one took about 55 minutes, so be sure to check on them.

8. Remove from oven when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes and run a knife around the outside.

Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.

It might be tempting to cut into the bread before it's completely cool- but don't do it! The bread will continue cooking even after you remove it from the oven.  Patients is key. :)

 9. After the bread has cooled completely, slice and enjoy!

We made some honey butter tonight to go along with it that wasn't too bad, if I do say so myself!

I'm not sure what was more exciting for me today- being back in the kitchen again or actually being able to enjoy something I created without guilt.  With my time in treatment coming to an end in a couple of weeks, it's pretty liberating to have my zucchini bread and eat it too.  Recovery might take years, but this is definitely a leap in the right direction.

Happy Late Summer Harvest Season!