I have a question for you. Did you know today is National Zucchini Bread Day #NationalZucchiniBreadDay? I don’t know about you but as much as I love Banana Nut Bread I’m going to pass on both Zucchini Bread and Pumpkin Bread as well. Before you say what about David he would eat both Banana Nut and Pumpkin but not Zucchini and as for Charlie he would only eat Banana Nut Bread.
In our Homeschool Cooking Class today we might take a Field Trip to our local Famers Market ie Produce Stand or local grocery store to get the ingredients for Zucchini Bread, Pumpkin Bread and Banana Nut Bread in Charlie’s Homeschool Cooking Class. Would you like to join us in our Cooking ie Baking Class and make Bread for your family?
I would like to share a fun fact with you. Zucchini happens to be a vegetable that tends to take on the flavor of the other ingredients it is combined with. Zucchini is a commonly used ingredient in savory meals including casseroles, stir fry, or side dishes. Many people don’t know that it can also be a yummy, healthful ingredient that is part of a variety of baked goods. Moist and sweet, this popular bread is delicious enough to deserve its own day to celebrate: National Zucchini Bread Day.
Those who have not grown up with Zucchini may find that the idea of making Zucchini Bread sounds a bit strange especially when they see you using that green gourd-ish like vegetable to make a loaf of Homemade Bread which could even be said to be a little bit suspicious. But most of the people who are willing to try Zucchini Bread are just a taste away from falling in love!
Zucchini, as it is known today, seems to have developed fairly recently, somewhere around the late 1800s, in Italy. Although some sources say Zucchini may have been around in Mexico for several thousand years prior to this! The Gourd seems to have made its way to the United States through Italian immigrants and to other places in the world as well. Many Countries and cultures now have dishes that they love to cook or bake using Zucchini.
Since Zucchini is a prolifically growing vegetable, it stands to reason that garden growers from years ago would have looked for ways to incorporate Zucchini into everything they cooked over and over again and Zucchini Bread was likely born out of this, sometime in the 19th Century. Wouldn’t you have liked to have been there when they found Zucchini.
Let’s Celebrate National Zucchini Bread Day
Obviously, the most logical thing to do National Zucchini Bread Day is to make (and eat! Zucchini Bread. Whether baking one loaf or several, loaves at a time Zucchini Bread is an easy, delicious snack that can also function well as breakfast or even dessert. Experienced chefs agree that Zucchini Bread is a good starter recipe because it is fairly easy to make. Although Zucchini Bread is called “Bread” it is actually a quick-bread recipe that does not require any Yeast. In fact, the recipe resembles a Cake more than it does Bread.
Today is a good day to get to know your neighbors and co-workers by taking them a loaf or two of Zucchini Bread. Don’t worry about how to wrpa the Bread because the loaves wrap nicely in foil or paper just don’t forget to top with a pretty bow and add a card letting them know your glad to meet them. For individual size gifts, pour the Bread batter into Muffin tins before baking.
Fun Facts About Zucchini
Zucchini is a fun vegetable that most people don’t know much about! Did you know Zucchini is actually a “summer Squash”. Zucchini is are normally a medium to dark green in color but they may also be light green or dark yellow. Zucchini are usually shaped like a large Cucumber. What Americans call a Zucchini, British and other cultures may refer to as a “courgette”. Did you know most baking recipes that use Zucchini call for it to be grated before being incorporated into the batter. Zucchini has a high fiber content, is low in carbs, and is packed with vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals that are important for the health of the body.
Recipe: for Zucchini Bread
Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 40 mins Additional Time: 20 mins Total Time: 1 hour 15 mins Servings: 24 Yield: 2 (8×4-inch) loaves
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 ¼ cups white sugar
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups grated zucchini
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour two 8×4-inch pans.
- Sift flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon together in a large bowl.
- Beat eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla together in a separate large bowl with an electric mixer until combined; add flour mixture and beat well. Stir in zucchini and walnuts until well combined. Pour batter into the prepared pans.
- Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 to 60 minutes. Cool in the pans on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a table knife around the edges to loosen. Invert carefully onto a wire rack and let cool completely.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
