How can a vegetable like zucchini be used to make a delicious sweet bread, which can be eaten for breakfast or as dessert? Not sure, but it can. And, over the years I have made lots of zucchini bread during the summer months because when a zucchini plant produces well in a garden, keeping up with the harvest can be a challenge. This year, our garden has pumped out about 100 zucchinis so far from just three plants. I make zucchini bread to eat, but also to freeze and to give away.
Here is the blueberry zucchini bread recipe I use. I am not sure where it originated. Blueberries are in season, so besides finding them at the farmers markets, they are at a few you-pick farms in Macon County as well as at local grocers and produce stands.
BLUEBERRY ZUCCHINI BREAD
- 2 1/4 cups sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 2 cups shredded zucchini
- 1 pint fresh or 2 cups frozen blueberries, thawed
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat two 9- x 5-inch loaf pans with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; mix well. Beat in zucchini. Gently fold in blueberries. Evenly distribute between the two prepared pans.
Bake 60 to 65 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes, then remove from pans to a wire rack to cool completely.