Timely Recipes

If your neighbors are leaving zucchini on your porch in the middle of the night, don't fret, just make:


Zucchini Muffins

2 eggs; beaten
1-1/3 cups sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups fresh zucchini; grated
2/3 cups unsalted butter; melted
2 tsp. baking soda
pinch salt
3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup pecans or walnuts [optional]
1 cup dried cranberries or raisins [optional]

Preheat oven to 350º. In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Mix in grated zucchini and then the melted butter. Sprinkle baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour, one third at a time. Sprinkle in the cinnamon and nutmeg and mix. Fold in the nuts and fruit if using.

Divide the batter equally in buttered cups of muffin tin. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the pan for 10 minutes. Turn on a wire rack and cool thoroughly.

...or Zucchini Bread with Pineapple

3 eggs
1 cup olive oil
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups zucchini; coarsely grated
8 oz. can crushed pineapple; drained
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup chopped nuts [optional]
1 cup raisins [optional]

Preheat oven to 350º. In a mixer, beat eggs. Add oil, sugar, and vanilla. Continue beating mixture until thick and foamy. With a spoon, stir in the zucchini and pineapple. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add dry ingredients, one-third at a time, into wet mixture and gently stir by hand. after each addition. Add the nuts and fruit and blend gently. Divide the batter equally between two greased and flour-dusted 5 x 9 -inch loaf pans. Bake for one hour, or until wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks to cool thoroughly. Makes 2 loafs.