why choose?

This bread was born of my need to use both three ooey bananas and a zucchini that had been languishing in my produce drawer for FAR too long. (Translation: I had to cut off a mushy part . . . but the rest of the zuke was fine!) Now there will no longer be a need to choose between banana and zucchini . . . just have both!



Whole-Wheat Banana Zucchini Bread
yield: one 9-inch loaf

Blend together until smooth:
3 overripe banans, peeled
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
1/4 cup milk

Fold in:
1 medium zucchini, shredded and obvious water squeezed out (about 2 cups of squeezed shreds)

Whisk together until well-blended:
3 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until combined. (Lumps are ok.) Depending on how moist your batter seems at this point, you may want to add up to an additional 1/4 cup of milk -- both zucchini and banana moisture levels vary greatly. :) (You could also fold in 1/2 cup chocolate chips, nuts, and/or dried fruit at this point.) Pour the batter into a greased 9-inch loaf pan and bake at 350 for 60 to 70 minutes, or until well-browned and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the bread comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.