We’re nearing the end of summer here in New England, and that means we’re willing to bet that you, a family member, or close friend (or all three) is currently feeling the pressure to do something (anything) with the mountain of zucchini spilling out of the garden. Thankfully, there are solutions. We love zucchini for its versatility. With minimal effort, the sturdy green veggie tastes great tossed into a stir-fry, shaped into zucchini fritters, or hollowed, stuffed, and baked. But for all of its savory adaptations, one the most popular ways to make good use of a bumper crop is by baking a warm, fragrant loaf of zucchini bread.
Hearty Zucchini Quick Bread Photo Credit : Aimee Tucker
We found this hearty zucchini quick bread recipe in one of Yankee‘s many cookbooks produced during the 1980s. Titled The Best Recipes From New England Inns, the book was compiled and edited by Sandra J. Taylor, and was first published in 1984. Inside are submissions (as the title implies) by the many excellent country inns and bed and breakfasts in New England.
Yankee Magazine | “The Best Recipes From New England Inns” Photo Credit : Aimee Seavey
Popular at both breakfast and snack time, zucchini bread was a natural “country inn” inclusion. Similar staff favorites from this volume include Blueberry Quick Bread from The Darby Field Inn in Conway, New Hampshire and Corn Muffins from Longfellow’s Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Massachusetts.
Like all good zucchini bread recipes, this one called for a healthy amount of fresh, shredded zucchini. Mixed into batter, zucchini (like carrot) lends moisture with just enough nutrition that you might find yourself mumbling, “Well, it must be a teeny bit good for me,” while you reach for a second slice.
Freshly shredded zucchini. Photo Credit : Aimee Seavey
This lovely bread baked up perfectly, with visible flecks of green from the zucchini and a hearty texture thanks to the inclusion of plump raisins and crunchy walnuts. If you like, you can swap the walnuts for pecans, the raisins for dried cranberries or cherries, or ditch the dried fruit altogether and use chocolate chips instead.
The perfect late summer breakfast or snack. Photo Credit : Aimee Seavey
When I brought this loaf into the Yankee offices, it didn’t last long. Sweet and satisfying with just enough heft to feel like more than a snack, this zucchini bread is the perfect late summer treat. Why not make two and freeze one or give the second to a family member or friend?
Are you a fan of zucchini bread? What’s the best addition – nuts, fruit, or chocolate?
Aimee Tucker is Yankee Magazine’s Home Editor and the Senior Digital Editor of NewEngland.com. A lifelong New Englander and Yankee contributor since 2010, Aimee has written columns devoted to history, foliage, retro food, and architecture, and regularly shares her experiences in New England travel, home, and gardening. Her most memorable Yankee experiences to date include meeting Stephen King, singing along to a James Taylor Fourth of July concert at Tanglewood, and taking to the skies in the Hood blimp for an open-air tour of the Massachusetts coastline.
