Zucchini Bread with Variations

This is the season when all (or most) gardeners have an abundance of zucchini. At some point you wonder what in the world you're going to do with it all. Here are a few ideas. I, like many, have been picking more zucchini than the two of us can eat. Yes, I've given some of it away. However I have not baked anything with it so, last week I made my first batch of experimental Zucchini Bread. I had been craving blueberry muffins and thought perhaps I could concoct a recipe that would incorporate both. So I dug out my blueberry muffin recipe and my zucchini bread recipe. I mixed up the batter and then divided it in half to make two different versions. In one half I added blueberries; in the other half I added walnuts and sunflower seeds. They both came out really good. At least I thought so. The hubby on the other hand being what he calls a purest for many things preferred the bread without the blue berries (like the only things he wants on his pizza is sauce, mozzarella and pepperoni, this is a pizza purest). Okay so yesterday I thought I'd try again but I noticed a recipe one of my co-workers gave me for carrot cake. It also said you could substitute zucchini for the carrots. I thought about that and decided I'd make Zucchini Carrot Bread. So I varied the previous recipe yet again and came up with this.

Zucchini Carrot Bread

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup flax seed meal
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups pureed zucchini and carrots - I used 1 1/2 medium zucchini and 2 small carrots {not baby carrots though}
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS FOR EACH LOAF OF BREAD:
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Place zucchini with skin and peeled carrots into food processor and process until pureed. You need about 2 cups. Do not drain or squeeze zucchini. Measure all dry ingredients in mixer bowl, stir lightly to mix. Add oil, eggs and zucchini/carrot puree and mix thoroughly. At this point you can pour into 2 greased 8x4x4" bread pans or you can add optional ingredients for a variation.
Pictured here is a plain loaf and a date/nut loaf. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

I have to be honest. I had a little of the walnut and date batter left over, well, I didn't think it would fit into the pan so I got out a small 5 or 6" round Pyrex pan, and greased it but before I poured it into the pan, I of course added some chocolate chips. Yummy!! It is really very difficult to bake anything without adding that special touch of chocolate! This bread was the first thing I tasted. Sorry, there was no control and therefore no picture of this. :) All gone, with a little help from my friends.

Be creative! I know this has plenty of fat but it is also loaded with nutritional ingredients like whole wheat flour; flax seed meal; walnuts; sunflower seeds; blue berries; dates. You can load these loaves up with more anything you want. Add slivered or sliced almonds and change the extract to almond. Add pecans, craisins, raisins, whatever you like. I added oatmeal when I made the blueberry bread and removed some of the flour. Something else that would probably be good is orange zest with the dates. Oh well, maybe next time. Either way, this is a great way to use up some of that abundance of zucchini. I also considered using almond flavoring instead of vanilla but I thought I better not be to zealous in my alterations all at once. So perhaps the next time, I'll try almond flavoring.

**Option for the blueberry bread: eliminate the cinnamon and add 1 cup blueberries, 1 teaspoon of lemon zest and 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract.