Whole Grain Zucchini Bread

 

My whole grain zucchini bread, pictured here with a gentle smear of cream cheese and a lazy drizzle of maple syrup, represents the fruits of a most propitious discovery: while rooting around in the freezer the other day looking for who-knows-what, I found two whole bags of shredded zucchini from last summer’s garden. And so, helping them to fulfill the measure of their creation (which I’d apparently wiped from my mind), I used one of them last night to concoct a whole grain recipe that is full of goodness. You always know a recipe is a success when Chris repeatedly, in between meals, slices the product, pours milk over it, and eats it with a spoon.

2 C grated zucchini

1/2 C olive oil

1/3 C honey

1/3 C real maple syrup

1/2 C thick plain yogurt (or 1/2 C silken tofu + 1 tsp vinegar or lemon juice for dairy-free version)

2 eggs

1 C whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 C brown rice flour

1/3 C barley flour

1/3 C oat flour (grind oats in your blender or food processor)

1/4 C wheat germ

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 Tbs cinnamon

optional: 1/2 – 3/4 C walnut pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together oil, syrup, honey, yogurt and eggs. (If using tofu, puree first, and add lemon juice/vinegar along with other ingredients.) Stir in zucchini. In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to wet, stirring until just combined. Add walnuts if desired. Ok, this is where things get sketch. Since I just made this recipe up as I went along, following my instincts, I wasn’t sure if I had too much batter for a single pan, or how that whole scene was going to play out in the oven. To be safe, then, I split the batter into two 9-inch loaf pans. I baked them for 30 minutes, and they were perfect, but made loaves that were only about 2-inches tall. If you’re worried about portion control maybe this is the best choice for you. But in retrospect, I think it all could have fit into one 9-in pan…but you’d have to bake it for, gee, I dunno, 40-50 minutes, I would guess. You’ll have to figure that out on your own. I think two 7-in loaf pans would also work well. Anyway, some experimentation to be undertaken still with this particular recipe, if anyone has nothing to do in the next few weeks.