Zuchinni invading your countertops? Make bread with this recipe

I was wondering what to write about on a cool, autumn-like day when I looked at my kitchen counter. Tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, and zucchini were waiting there to be used.

Since it was lunchtime, I quickly put the tomatoes, onions, and zucchini to use. My mock spaghetti (macaroni) was not a big production. Leftover meatballs and an individual can of V-8 flavored my sauce. The zucchini went in as an afterthought. It quickly dissolved into the mixture. My late husband would have loved this meal, even though he didn’t care for zucchini. The peeled and cubed vegetable was an invisible ingredient.

Still, more zucchini waited to be used. That’s when I decided to bake my friend Joyce’s zucchini bread. The recipe was one Joyce’s mother had made. I remember munching on slice after slice in Emily’s kitchen and loving every bite.

Joyce sent me a copy of Emily’s zucchini bread recipe. There were a few ingredients I had forgotten that were in the mix, like crushed pineapple and chopped dates. Both were in my cupboard, except my pineapple was in chunks. I solved that by putting the contents of the can in the blender. Voilà, crushed pineapple.

This isn’t the simplest bread I’ve ever made. It took an effort to put it together, but in the end, it was well worth the trouble. But I have to tell you, I almost made a huge mistake. I had grated the zucchini first and set it aside as I worked on the rest of the bread ingredients. As I was getting ready to fill the bread pans, I remembered I hadn’t added the zucchini. It was a just-in-time revelation. Honestly, with all the other ingredients, the zucchini would never have been missed.

Two 9 x 5 loaf pans went into the oven. It was a cool, rainy day. That was the only reason I was baking. Otherwise, this would have waited until fall.

For a first try, it turned out yummy, though it crumbled a bit as I was slicing it. I’m going to share the recipe with you today. It’s a whopper. Makes enough to share.

2 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. salt

¾ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp baking powder

1 cup chopped dates

1 cup chopped pecans

3 cups flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1 ½ tsp cinnamon

2 cups shredded unpeeled zucchini

1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple, well drained (or 1 cup) Note: I didn’t drain my pineapple for my second batch and the bread turned out fine.

In a large mixing bowl beat eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla until thick. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Mix well. Pour into greased 9 x 5” loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 1 hour, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Makes two loaves.

When I divided this bread mixture into smaller pans, it took about 45-50 minutes to bake.

Afterward, I had a sink filled with bowls and pans. Still worth the effort. I’m now ready to share or freeze for later. Enjoy.

Susan Manzke, Sunnybook Farm, N8646 Miller Rd, Seymour, WI 54165; [email protected]; [email protected]; www.susanmanzke.net/blog.