Bumper crop





My parents have a tradition of growing huge zucchinis. Like really huge. 4 kg huge. And more of them that we can use without becoming zucchinified – especially since my teenage brother has sworn off zucchini bread (I believe, on principle at this point). However, after finding and creating as many dinner recipes has she could, a couple of year ago, my mother came across one recipe that seemed like the perfect disguise for these beautiful monstrosities: zucchini bread.

Zucchini bread is very similar to carrot bread in texture – both are grated finely and mixed in with the usual yeast-free bread ingredients, and both add a moistness to the bread similar to that added by bananas, but without the sweetness. Zucchinis have the added bonus of lacing the bread with strings of dark green zucchini, threaded throughout the earthy brown loaves like fine capillaries.

My mom’s go-to recipes for zucchini bread involve adding ingredients such a pineapple, raisins, pecans and chocolate chips (though not necessarily all together). However, a couple of weekends ago, we decided to try a new recipe for a savory bread, which featured thyme, black pepper, Gruyere cheese and sundried tomatoes. The flavours melted together effortlessly and the unexpected bits of sundried tomato added a pleasantly tangy touch. Needless to say, the bread didn’t last very long.

Savoury Zucchini Bread
Adapted from http://www.ricardocuisine.com/

Ingredients

-        1 cup unpeeled grated zucchini
-        1 tsp salt
-        1 ½ cups unbleached flour
-        1 tbsp baking powder
-        1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
-        Freshly ground black pepper
-        2 eggs, beaten
-        ¼ cup olive oil
-        ½ cup milk
-        1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
-        1 cup chopped sundried tomatoes

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Butter an 8 ½ by 4 ½ inch bread pan
  3. In a bowl, combine grated zucchini and salt. Let sit for 30 minutes and squeeze in a colander to remove as much of the water
  4. In another bowl, combine eggs, olive oil and milk. Stir in dry ingredients with a wooden spoon and add zucchini, cheese and sundried tomatoes
  5. Spread batter into a pan and bake for 50 minute or until toothpick comes out clean
  6. Let cool on a rack and store at room temperature for 3-4 days in an airtight container, or freeze.

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