storing up for the winter OR zucchini bread

It seems to happen every year. 

That big green veggie comes into my kitchen by the armful.  Friendly neighbors sharing their garden's bounty with me.  I love squash, especially zucchini.  But September seems to overload my system.  That's why shredding it up and making a few breads to stick in the freezer always seems to happen at the time of year, too.  I'll be sharing a few of my favorite zucchini bread recipes over the next few days.

My preschooler helped me shred big green chunks of squash on the box grater as we listened to music and danced in the kitchen.  She's getting so big.  I sometimes wish I could just freeze her at this age right along with my zucchini bread!  We made a double batch of everything and still had squash leftover.  Looks like another baking/dancing day is in order at my house. 

I found this delicious cornbread on Pinterest and have ended up loving this blog, Mostly Foodstuffs.  She has lots of yummage recipes- check it out!


Brown Butter Zucchini Cornbread

from Bon Appetit, via Epicurious
yields 1 loaf

1 good-sized zucchini (about 12 ounces)

1 cup flour

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or just use additional flour)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon coarse salt

3/4 cup medium-grind cornmeal (standard cornmeal would work fine)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus additional for greasing pan
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs

1/3 cup sugar, plus additional coarse sugar for sanding the top

Preheat your to 350° Fahrenheit. Butter and flour a loaf pan, and set aside.

Trim the ends off the zucchini, and slice a half-dozen whisper-thin slices off to reserve as garnish. Grate the remaining zucchini on the coarse holes of a grater, then set aside in a colander to drain while you prepare the rest of the recipe.

In a large bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cornmeal. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Continue cooking until butter solids at bottom of pan turn golden brown, about 3 minutes, then pour out into a medium bowl. Let cool slightly, then pour in the buttermilk, whisking to help cool the butter and take the chill off the buttermilk. Add the eggs and sugar, and whisk well to combine. Give the zucchini a quick press in the colander to release any liquid, and stir into the bowl as well.

Gently fold the dry mixture into the zucchini mixture, stirring until *just* combined (the mixture will be quite thick). Pour into your prepared pan, and smooth the top. Gently lay the reserved zucchini slices in a row down the top, then sprinkle generously with coarse sugar. Bake until golden and a tester comes out clean, ~45 minutes to an hour. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool fully before slicing.