Receta Zucchini Spice Bread, mollusk wars
I very carefully check my summer squash plants every day, picking them when they are small so they don’t get out of control.
It never works……
Mon mari wanted a big one, He likes to slice them and cook them on the barbecue, and he likes them about 3 inches in diameter.
I picked out a likely specimen and allowed it to grow.
I decided to make some Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread so I let one grow for me, too.
Two days later, when I decided to pick the two I also decided to trim off all of the old, yellowing leaves.
I found 4 more.
So – mon mari got his pick, then I made four loaves of bread (two chocolate and two spice) and 2 quarts of soup for the freezer.
We sliced into the spice bread first….
Zucchini Spice Bread
Total time: 75 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 cups grated zucchini
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 3 cups flour
- 3 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp cloves
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350F (175C).
Prepare 2 9 X 5 loaf pans: buttered and floured.
Cream together eggs and sugars.
Add oil and beat lightly.
Stir in zucchini and vanilla.
Add the rest of the ingredients (put the flour on top first and the rest of the ingredients on top of the flour) and stir in well.
Divide batter evenly between pans and bake for 60 minutes. The top should be cracked and look dry. Test with a toothpick inserted into the middle: it should come out clean and dry. If not done leave in for 5 more minutes and test again. Timing will depend a little on the moistness of the zucchini.
Remove and let rest in the pans for 5 minutes.
Remove from pans and cool on wire racks.
Slice and serve or wrap and freeze.
It’s been a strange summer.
Usually, we get the normal spring rains, then it turns hot and sunny for July and August. We rarely mow the grass after the end of June; it turns browns and brittle and goes dormant.
This summer we haven’t gone for more than three days without rain. The lawn is lush and thick and needs mowing every 5 or 6 days.
Usually I have to water the potager but the sun and heat keep it free of disease..
This summer it has all of the diseases common to cool, wet, humid weather.
We also have had an abundance of snails and slugs.
I’m guessing they prefer the cool, damp, soft green grass of this year over the dry, brittle, brown stuff we normally have.
The other morning when I was out with the dogs I saw a snail and a slug on a collision course. Not being familiar with the temperament of mollusks I ran back inside to get my camera.
I thought that I might see a slow motion battle between two territorial mollusks.
Instead they totally ignored each other.
Well, almost ignored each other.
Neither deviated from their straight line course. The slug just slithered right over the snail
It tipped the snail over as it slipped off. The snail righted itself and took off.
It almost looks happy, doesn’t it?
Last update on August 10, 2014