Zee Bread (for John Willis)

It’s mid June and already my favorite Collingswood  Farmers’ Market farmers are selling zucchini…small, medium, and LARGE.

Everyone who loves zucchini knows that the frighteningly large ones come later and are wonderful for zucchini bread.  Already Les Viereck had large ones!  Ask him why…he’ll tell you.  That man knows his stuff and loves his farm.

Decades ago husband and I had a friend who loved this particular bread and lovingly called it Zee Bread.  Once he said it we changed the title to honor and remember him.

This particular recipe has been modified from the original but only in good ways!

This recipe makes two large loaves.  Pans must be greased and floured.

Ingredients:
4 cups grated zucchini (4 little, 3 medium, 2 large, or 1 gigantic)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/ teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins (I use golden, but any will do)
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2.  Grease and flour two standard (8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″) oaf pans
3.  Grate zucchini

4.  Beat together the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla
5.  Mix together, in another bowl, the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
6.  Mix together the sugar and egg mixture, the flour mixture, the grated zucchini.  Alternate the flour mixture and the zucchini.

7.  When the batter is completely mixed, stir in the raisins and nuts
8.  Pour batter into greased loaf pans and bake for one hour at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (until tester toothpick comes out clean)

Delicious for breakfast with cream cheese and a cup of hot tea.  Or as dessert with cream cheese and a glass of iced tea.  Either way, zucchini bread always tastes better on the back porch.

There you have it.  Easy. Delicious.  And it uses 4 CUPS OF ZUCCHINI!