This year Dan & I put in a bigger garden. We built 4 raised beds and planted a variety of vegetables and herbs. We were very excited about reaping our rewards at harvest time, but unfortunately our garden – well, it was a dud. At first it looked promising, lively & healthy. We had spring lettuce and were hopeful for sugar snap peas, green & fava beans, but something black came over them and they just never took. We were still hopeful for the rest of the crop, and then the grasshoppers invaded. They ate everything, everything that is but the zucchini & tomatoes. I’m not quite sure why they left the zucchini & tomatoes – but we are very glad they did. We pride-fully pick them as the precious gifts that they are, and have yet to tire from either. When the zucchini occasionally gets ahead of us, it’s Zucchini Bread making time. My recipe for it is as follows, (although I must admit not as good as the one I lost many years ago from a Fireman’s cookbook), but still pretty darn good. Enjoy!
1½ cup wheat flour
1 ¼ cup unbleached all purpose flour
¼ cup flax or cracked wheat
1 cup walnuts/pecans, ground
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. salt
½ cup pure cane sugar
½ cup pure cane brown sugar
1 cup light olive oil
3 eggs
Zest & juice of 1 lemon
4 cups packed grated Zucchini
1.) Mix ingredients adding one at a time in order as listed, mixing well.
2.) Pour mixture into 2 lightly oiled loaf pans.
3.) Bake at 350* for 1 hour or until firm.
4.) Let rest at room temperature until completely cooled.
Zucchini bread is best after it rest for awhile. It can also be stored in the refrigerator and freezes nicely. Slice and serve with butter or cheese. It is also a great accompaniment for stews and roasts.
Wine Pairing:
Campo Viejo Tempranillo Reserva 2004: From the Rioja region of Spain, this is a medium bodied red, layered with a nice balance of fruit, a bit of ash and mineral, and a full soft finish. Goes nicely with hearty breads and cheese, but would also stand up well to stews and roasts.
Comments 3
Hi Jill,
The zucchini bread looks wonderful, but I wanted to ask your advice on another subject.
I just added a side firebox to my grill and now have the ability to smoke meat using hardwood charcoal and chunks of sweet smoking wood.
Have you ever attempted to smoke buffalo meat? I was concerned that the lack of fat would result in a tough, too-dry end product. Are there cuts (such as brisket) that might lend themselves to more success in the smoker? Or should I stick to pork ribs, salmon and poultry and leave the buffalo for the grill?
Thanks, Chuck
Hi Chuck –
I have tried smoking buffalo briskets, and have not had much success. Wanting that slow smoke flavor, I came up with a paste that includes a dash of liquid smoke and smoked paprika – you rub this into the brisket or ribs – wrap in foil and cook slow over a wood, charcoal or gas grill for 3 hours. You might try that method in the smoker increasing your cook/smoke time.
If you give it a try – let me know how it turns out.
Very Best –
Jill
Thanks, Jill. I’ll let you know. Congratulations to you and Dan on your upcoming wedding.