Working in the Garden & Zucchini Bread

For me, Zucchini Bread

​brings back childhood memories of summer. I remember working in my family's garden for what seemed like hours; pulling weeds, picking green beans, and complaining the whole time about the heat and how our backs hurt. It's a wonder my mom even wanted us out there! ​It was always rewarding seeing all the fresh produce we had though.

There were several years where we had an obscene amount of zucchini squash.  We would give some to family members or family friends and we would still have too much for ourselves! I remember my mom resorting to some creative measures in order to use it all. We had zucchini stir fried, roasted, baked, and even pickled! One of my favorite ways to enjoy zucchini is baked into bread. 

This recipe in particular brings back many memories because it is my grandmother's recipe. She and my mom made it all the time and it was always best right out of the oven. Now that I'm older I can really appreciate the flavors and complexity this recipe has and have had the opportunity to tweak it here and there to my liking. The many spices like, fresh ginger and cinnamon add a special zing to the bread giving it warm and almost floral notes that make it very enjoyable. Typically, the recipe calls for walnuts which is absolutely delicious, but I added chocolate chips to this batch to add a decadent twist.  I encourage anyone who tries this recipe to experiment with what they put inside to make it their own. Happy baking!
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​Zucchini Bread

In a large mixing bowl combine the following ingredients:
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup apple sauce
2 cups raw grated zucchini
1 Tbs. vanilla
1 tsp. fresh ginger

In a separate bowl combine the following ingredients and mix together:
3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground clove
1/2 tsp. allspice 

Add the dry mix to the wet ingredients and stir till just combined
Fold in 1 cup of chocolate chips or chopped walnuts 
Pour into 2 greased 8" loaf pans (or muffin tins if desired)
Bake in a 350 degree oven for approximately 1 hour or when a knife comes out clean.
      (Muffins bake for about 30 minutes)
Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes then remove and cool on a wrack.