Susan R. Singer

Ingredients

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 cups grated fresh zucchini
• 2/3 cup melted unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• Pinch salt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Method

•  Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
• In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
• Mix in the grated zucchini and then the melted butter.
• Sprinkle baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in.
• Add the flour, a third at a time.
• Sprinkle in the cinnamon and nutmeg and mix.
• Divide the batter equally between 2 buttered 5 by 9 inch loaf pans.
• Bake for 1 hour (check for doneness at 50 minutes) or until a wooden pick inserted in to the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes.
• Turn out onto wire racks to cool thoroughly

Makes 2 loaves

Plant Part Used: The zucchini is an immature fruit consisting of the swollen ovary of the zucchini flower and the spent zucchini flower. In our recipe, we will not be using the spent flower, just the fruit and skin. Zucchini is usually green, but there are white zucchinis called summer squash, which are a mutant of the original and can occur on the same plant as the green ones.

Nutritional highlights: Zucchini is a good source of folate, potassium, and vitamins A and C.  Folate is essential for DNA synthesis and repair. It is also important for cell division and growth meaning infancy and pregnancy are good times to eat zucchini.

Origins and history:
Zucchini originated in the Americas and is a hybrid of cucumber and another squash. Zucchinis are related to squash, melons, and cucumbers. They were first cultivated in Italy and were introduced in the United States in the 1920s, probably by Italian immigrants. The name is Italian; zucca means squash and the word zucchini arose from its diminutive.

Growing Zucchini:
Zucchini are easy to grow in temperate climates so they are very good for home gardens. They require a lot of bees for pollination so they will not do well on farms with high pesticide use or in areas of pollinator decline.  We bought our zucchinis at the coop in Northfield and they are from an organic farm in Mexico. They can be bought locally at Bridge Water Produce Farm in Northfield, but the season is from late May to September.