Blueberry Zucchini Bread
We went to Bainbridge two weekends ago and meandered around a quilt show and the farmers market. There were flyers everywhere for zucchini races, which are just exactly what they sound like. We came across a zucchini all prepped and ready at one of the farmer’s market stands, and I was left with a huge sense of disappointment at missing this event the following weekend. I want to see a bunch of 10 lb zucchini’s flying down the road! Instead, I made zucchini bread.
I’m now transitioning from summer to fall squash, but made this zucchini blueberry bread when I over-purchased at the farmers market (as I am wan to do). I can feel less guilty because the bread is based on fruits and vegetables, right?! This recipe makes two standard-size loaves, one for now and one for later (or one for each of our offices, in our case).
Make sure you grease AND flour your pans – I forgot the latter step and ended up with the bottom half of both loaves stuck in the pan. Whoops. I also intermittently have either canola or vegetable oil on hand but not both, and substitute one for the other without really thinking about it due to their neutral flavors. What’s the difference? Products labeled as “Vegetable oil” can come from a variety of sources, including canola, safflower, sunflower, corn, soybean or peanut oil according to the US Department of Agriculture. The standard Wesso and Crisco “vegetable oil” lining grocery store shelves is a soybean product, while the Mazola version is a soybean-canola blend. The canola plant was developed from rapeseed to avoid a specific toxin in the rapeseed plant. Both oils can withstand high temperatures so are suitable for baking, and don’t significantly change the texture or taste of whatever you are baking. The main difference I came across (except maybe for those with a soy allergy) is in the fat content. Canola oil has less saturated fat, so would be the healthier choice of the two.
Other things we’ve checked off the bucket list this month? Kayaking in Greenlake (Kevin made me carry my kayak like 20 minutes to the car), Volunteer Park, riding bikes at Alki, and walking across Deception pass on Whidbey Island. We went to dinner at Orchard Kitchen on Whidbey, which was fantastic. It is a farm-to-table restaurant owned and run by a couple that is located on their farm, which guests are free to explore if they arrive early for dinner. I chatted with Tyla Nattress about the hens she is raising and integrating into her brood before dinner, then afterward we watched Vincent Nattress butcher a pig as customers began to dwindle. It was a true farm to table experience. The food was wonderful, but what I really loved was the communal tables and the two couples we enjoyed thoroughly for 3 hours. We were worried about struggling to make conversation, but ended up at a delightful table and left with great memories and a long list of recommendations for places to travel and things to eat.
The rabbits on Whidbey had no fear of people, which was cool and a little unsettling. These little guys were nomming on apples that had fallen from a nearby tree with absolutely no regard for nearby traffic. No mom, I didn’t try to pet the rabbits. I believe these are the vermin of Whidbey, terrorizing gardens and burrowing holes in inconvenient places. At least they’re cute!
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2¼ cups white sugar
- 2 cups shredded zucchini
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1 pint fresh blueberries
- Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease and flour 2 large loaf pans or 4 mini loaf pans.
- In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar. Fold in the zucchini. Beat in the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda until just combined. Gently fold in blueberries and mix until distributed. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pans.
- Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 20 minutes and transfer to wire racks to cool completely.