During the summer, we're very fortunate to live just a few short blocks from the Saturday Farmer's Market in Jackson Hole. Every week, we head up early, grab some coffee, and make our way around the square to see what catches our eyes.
Last year, this caught my eye. It would have probably caught your eye, too. It was hard to miss:
In the event that there's any question, I'm referring to the monstrous zucchini. While the apples are pretty, they're just there to show relative size.
I had to buy it. And it only cost $1. ONE DOLLAR for all of that zucchini.
If you've ever seen me in action at The 99-cent Store, then you know that this was a done deal before I even approached the booth.
When life hands you an extra-large zucchini. Make zucchini bread.
Lots and lots......and lots of zucchini bread.
I have a recipe for zucchini and sweet potato bread, which I have been making for years. Although it may seem like an odd combination, the two vegetables balance each other out, producing a moist, dense, and not-overly-sweet bread that is just as good freshly sliced as it is toasted. It keeps well, ships well, and is easy to turn into mini loaves for gift baskets.
As far as breads go, it's darn near perfect.
Because I had an abundance of apples at home, I decided to play around with the recipe, substituting shredded Granny Smiths for the sweet potatoes and changing some of the spices. I also had to be sure to squeeze the excess juice from the shredded apples so that the bread wouldn't be watery (learned that one the hard way.)
Spiced Apple Zucchini Bread was delicious with my morning coffee throughout the summer, for a snack after a hike, or for something sweet before bed.....or mid-afternoon.....or before dinner (ok, I found excuses to eat it all day long.) Plus, the super zucchini enabled me to bake enough loaves to bring to all of the neighbors, which made me super popular.
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