Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread with Flax

Growing up, I thought the normal size for a zucchini was about one and a half feet long, eight inches in diameter—roughly the size of a Duraflame log.

That was the typical girth of the zucchini that emerged from my mother’s vegetable garden and, because there was obviously no need to buy any, I really had no basis for comparison. Moreover, my belief in zucchini gigantism was confirmed each summer by the zucchini “gifts” bestowed on our family from gardening friends and neighbors, all of which were mammoths reviling our own backyard crop.

The zucchini had their uses, though not always culinary. My brother and I used a few for weapons and baseball bats, my sister dressed some of the shapelier varieties as dolls, and I have a distinct memory of my father using several as doorstops at the peak of the summer harvest.

Looking back, I’m thankful my mother never subjected me and my siblings to any overly “creative” zucchini recipes, like magic zucchini balls or zucchini surprise stew. Somehow she suspected, whether by instinct or inherent wisdom, that the hassle-free solution to feeding her children a zucchini bonanza was to shred it, fold it into a brown-sugary batter, and bake it into lumpy-bumpy loaves of zucchini bread.

She was right. No prodding was needed to induce us to gobble crumbly, warm slices fresh from the oven, or nibble from baggies after swim team practice. We ate it as fast as she made it, and she made plenty.

Give my rendition of zucchini bread a try; it closely resembles the one Mom used to make, and, like hers, is packed with good things, including white whole wheat flour and ground flax seeds. Make it now, with zucchini from the grocery store (I picked up a a slew in a discount bag at the grocery store, which inspired this post), or squirrel the recipe away for late summer when you have zucchini up to your knees.

Zucchini bread virgin? Take heart—the zucchini does not impart a squash flavor, but rather lends moistness, texture, and flecks of color. If you like carrot cake, you’ll fall for zucchini bread, too. And in case you’re wondering, the recipe works equally well with summer and yellow squash (my bargain bag had several yellow crooknecks, too). So use what’s on hand, in the garden, or on sale.

I hadn’t planned on a second recipe, but I only used a fraction of my squash bounty with two batches of bread. So while Kevin grilled some chicken, I sliced the remainders, tossed them with olive oil, and slapped them on the grill for an impromptu warm salad. I topped it with some goat cheese, a quick lemon-cumin dressing, and some mint from the garden; simple and good, and just a tiny taste of the great summer produce to come.
Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread with Flax
I love this toasted, slathered with jam, or peanut butter. It’s a convenient breakfast on the go, and it freezes well. I prefer to slice it before freezing, placing 3 or 4 slices in a freezer bag (so I can defrost a little bit at a time, as I need it).
2 cups shredded zucchini (about 2-3 medium zucchini)
2 and 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (see note below)
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup plain, fat free yogurt
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x5-loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray (or, my preference, baking spray with flour).

Spread zucchini onto several layers of heavy-duty paper towels; cover with additional paper towels. Press down firmly to remove excess liquid (this is really important—don’t; skip this step

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, brown sugar, flaxseed, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and nutmeg. In a medium bowl whisk the yogurt, eggs, oil, and vanilla; stir in zucchini.

Add zucchini mixture and walnuts to flour mixture, stirring until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 55-60 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove bread from pan; place on wire rack. Makes 1 loaf, 16 servings.

Nutrition per Serving (1 slice):Calories 184; Fat 6.2g (sat 1.3g, mono 2.7g, poly 2.1g); Protein 4.5g; Cholesterol 4mg; Carbohydrate 27.1g; Sodium 224.5mg.
(Note: I did the nutrition analysis using Diet Analysis Plus 7.0.1)

Camilla’s Notes: White Whole Wheat Flour is made by King Arthur flour and is available in most supermarkets now; it’s made with a different variety of wheat than regular whole wheat flour, so it is much lighter and softer, closer to all-purpose flour. You can use an equal amount in place of all-purpose flour in most recipes, especially more sturdy recipes, like quick breads and muffins. If you cannot find it, use a 50-50 blend of regular whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour.



Grilled Squash Salad with Goat Cheese, Mint, & Lemon-Cumin Dressing
This is pretty much what I did the other night—I wasn’t measuring, so feel free to adjust to your tastes. The leftovers are great; I piled some on toasted focaccia—yum.
4 large green zucchini, trimmed
4 large yellow squash, trimmed
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup small mint leaves
About 2 ounces soft fresh gat cheese, crumbled

Cut zucchini diagonally into 1cm-thick slices. Place in a large bowl. Lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray, then season with salt & pepper, tossing to coat.

Preheat a grill to medium-high heat. Cook squash, in batches, for 3-4 minutes each side or until lightly charred and just tender. Transfer to a large platter.

Meanwhile, place the oil, garlic, lemon juice, mustard and cumin in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Seal lid, then shake vigorously. Season with salt & pepper. Pour dressing over warm zucchini and set aside to cool. Just before serving, sprinkle with mint and goat cheese. Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition per Serving (1/8 of salad):
Calories 107; Fat 3.5g (sat 1.1g, mono 1.6g, poly 0.3g); Protein 2.9g; Cholesterol 2mg; Carbohydrate 17.3g; Sodium 320mg.
(Note: I did the nutrition analysis using Diet Analysis Plus 7.0.1)