A friend who lives 3km down the curvy mountain road cultivates her own vegetables: eggplant, tomatoes, every herb known to man and gigantic zucchini. Each and every year her surplus is big and beautiful and this year I’m able to taste the fruits of her labor.

For the first time in recorded history … I’ve made Zucchini Bread. Many moons ago, my sister went on a zucchini bread making binge which lasted months, she gave zucchini bread away as gifts for birthdays, Christmas and weddings! At the time she was new to gardening and wasn’t aware of the growth potential in zucchini, hence, her gigantic garden of zucchini and the hundreds of loaves that followed. I’ve been a zucchini bread lover since. Here’s the recipe I scoffed off the internet for which, the author is a gigantic zucchini lover too. 

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)

I didn’t have nuts, cranberries or raisins and went without.

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter two 5 by 9 inch loaf pans.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in the grated zucchini and then the melted butter.

3. Sprinkle baking soda and salt over the mixture and stir it in. Add the flour, a third at a time, stirring after each incorporation. Sprinkle in the cinnamon and nutmeg over the batter and mix. Fold in the nuts and dried cranberries or raisins if using.

4. Divide the batter equally between the loaf pans. Bake for 55 minutes (check for doneness at 50 minutes) or until a wooden pick inserted in to the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks to cool thoroughly.

Makes two loaves.

I found this delicious, and simple smelling zucchini bread at www.simplerecipes.com

The warm aroma of gigantic zucchini bread began around the seven minute mark, after that the room swelled with the sweet scent of something homemade. I’m pretty sure I used every single pot, pan, glass and utensil in the making of this bread. Check out the mess below!

Before: Two loaves and this mess?

After: The sweet, clean scent of zucchini bread.

My only hope is that tastes as good as it looks, and smells.

What do you think? Do you like Zucchini Bread? Can you offer some variations on this recipe?