BEDA 3: Recipe Tuesday

      That well-planned literary discussion I promised? On hold for another day. I got about halfway through the post and my brain started hurting, and I couldn't remember what I questions I was trying to ask or what points I wanted to make. I think Wednesdays are a better day for possibly controversial blog topics anyway, so today we will discuss ZUCCHINI BREAD. I know some people find the synthesis of vegetables and sweet breads a little controversial, but they usually change their minds when they taste it. 

     When I got married, my mom gave me a pretty little recipe box full of family recipes, old and new. I spent my late teens "veganizing" a ton of my grandmother's breads and cookies, but for some reason I never made it to her zucchini bread. It's one of my favorite quick breads and reminds me of vacations at my grandparents house in the hills of Northern California filled with card games, hikes, and rolling my eyes at grandpa's dorky-but-awesome cowboy songs. I helped my mom make zucchini bread when I visited home last summer before the wedding, but had never tried mastering it by myself until last weekend. It felt like earning my family bakings tradition wings or something. Zucchini's also in season right now so buy a bunch from your local farmer's market and get baking.

Here's the recipe from Great Grandma Zamzow's kitchen in both it's original and dairy-free forms:

Zamzow Zucchini Nut Bread Gone Vegan 

2 cups grated zucchini 

3/4 cup soy or almond milk

1 tsp. cornstarch

1/2 cup oil

1/3 cup applesauce (or leave out and use one full cup of oil!) 

2 cups sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

3 cups white all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

3 tsp.  cinnamon

1/2 cup walnuts (it's also fine without them, for all you nut haters)

Preheat oven to 325 F. Lightly grease one large loaf pan.

     

     In a large mixing bowl, whisk the soy/almond milk with cornstarch. Add zucchini, oil, applesauce, sugar, and vanilla and mix until well combined. Sift together dry ingredients and slowly incorporate into the zucchini/oil/soymilk mixture until just combined. Do not over mix or the batter may be gummy! Fold in walnuts, and spread the batter evenly in your loaf pan. Bake about one hour, or until the loaf springs back when pressed. 

Zamzow Zucchini Nut Bread (Original)

2 cups grated zucchini 

3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

3 cups all-purpose or whole wheat flour 

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

3 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup walnuts 

     Preheat the oven to 325 F. Lightly grease a large loaf pan. 

     Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl until foamy. Add the oil, sugar, zucchini, and vanilla. Mix lightly until all ingredients are combined. Sift together the dry ingredients and add to egg mixture mixing until just combined. Fold in the walnuts. Pour dough into loaf pan and spread evenly. Bake about one hour, or until loaf springs back when pressed. 

If you make this (either version), let me know how it turns out! Also, are "recipe Tuesdays" a good thing to keep up on the blog?