Zucchini Bread, Times 2

As I've mentioned before, our little garden has been very fruitful (or vegetableful) this year, for which we are very grateful!  We have had some possibly record-setting zucchinis, size-wise.  Those things somehow manage to hide under those massive leaves, and it's hard to see them sometimes until they get humongous! At which point they're also almost inedible.  Unless you make Zucchini Bread, that is!  I've made umpteen zillion loaves of the sweet bread this summer, which freezes and keeps really well.  If you've never had this kind of zucchini bread, you really oughta try it!  If you didn't know it had zucchini in it, you'd never know it had zucchini in it.  (As in, my kids eat it.  We call it cake.  Don't judge me, they need their veggies.)  It's kinda like banana bread, without the bananas.  Super simple to make, and a big ol' zucchini will make about 4-6 loaves!  Here's the recipe: 

Zucchini Bread (one recipe makes 2 loaves)

3 cups all-purpose flour      
 1 teaspoon salt
 1 teaspoon baking soda
 1 teaspoon baking powder
 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
 3 eggs
 1 cup vegetable oil
 2 1/4 cups white sugar
 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
 2 cups grated zucchini
 1 cup chopped walnuts (I don't always add nuts, it's good either way.)

Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

After baking this kind of zucchini bread a bazillion times, I decided to search for something new and different.  Thanks to Google and Common Sense Homesteading, I found "Cheesy Garlic Zucchini Bread".  Yes, please.  I made it today, and I'm not sure what was better, the way it tasted or the way it made my house smell.  I brought it to the church for lunch and only got a couple bites, but I will definitely be making it again soon!  It kinda reminds me of broccoli cornbread, except there's no broccoli and it's not made with cornmeal.  So it's totally different, but kinda the same.
Clear as mud, right?  Whatever, here's the recipe.  You should make it!

Cheesy Garlic Zucchini Bread

3 cups grated zucchini or summer squash (I peel and seed my overgrown zucchini.)

2 teaspoons salt

1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 medium onion, diced

2 cups grated cheddar (I used Monterey Jack, it was great!)

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon black pepper

½ cup butter, melted

3 large chicken eggs, preferably at room temperature

(I also added a little Cavender's Greek Seasoning, but you don't have to.  But you should.  Just saying.)

Combine the zucchini and salt in a colander and toss to mix. Set aside to drain for 30 minutes. Squeeze out the excess water. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 7×11 inch baking dish with butter or lard. (You can also use a 9×9 inch Pyrex dish and reduce the heat to 330.) Stir together the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl. Add the onion, zucchini, cheese, garlic powder and pepper. Mix well with a fork, breaking up any clumps of zucchini. Whisk together eggs and butter in a small bowl. Pour into the zucchini mixture and mix well. Spread evenly in the baking dish. Bake for about 35 minutes, until golden.  You want the whole top golden and the entire pan cooked through, so don’t be afraid to give it some extra time if needed.  The batter is very thick and moist.  

Y'all, this stuff is good.  You know I wouldn't lie to you about groceries.  You should really try it.  

Or come to our house and I'll make it for you. Either way, yum.