I was in high school when I was inspired to start a vegetable garden in our backyard. My dad designated me a small patch of earth I tilled with a shovel then we drove to the store to pick out our plants. Small, leafy shoots promising tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and zucchinis were selected then carefully planted in the ground. Our small garden did better than expected and before we knew it we started lining our counter top with juicy tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, hot peppers, and tender zucchini.
One day near the end of the season I went out to see what was left in our little garden. I bent down and brushed aside a large leaf and hidden underneath was a goliath of a zucchini that had remained concealed from view for what must have been weeks. At this point I was convinced the only thing it was good for was bread, so I shredded the behemoth zucchini and bread it became.
Is there really a better use for zucchini besides bread? Recently I was gifted another colossal zucchini from a friend’s garden and knew instantly I had to make bread. I spent an entire day in the kitchen shredding the zucchini and making all sorts of cakes, muffins, and bread with just the one vegetable. For this loaf, I used olive oil to create a rich, dense texture along with bright lemon.
This bread is a perfect use for all those late summer zucchinis. The batter for this quick bread comes together in no time and the result is a perfectly sweet, tender loaf of bread. Make this bread your next weekend project and I promise you’ll love it!
Olive Oil Lemon Zucchini Bread
- 2 Cups Shredded Zucchini
- 3 Eggs
- 3/4 Cup Olive Oil
- 2 1/4 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
- 3/4 Tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 Tsp Salt
- 1 Tsp Vanilla
- Zest from 1 Lemon
- Juice From 1 Lemon
Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan or line with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large bowl whisk the zucchini, eggs, and olive oil together. Stir in the flour, powder, soda, and salt. Add the vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice and mix until just combined.
Poor the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. (I had a few baking projects going on this day so my oven didn’t stay as warm as it should have. My loaf took about an hour and 20 minutes.)
Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
