zucchini bread

So far this summer has been nothing like the last. It has been unrelentingly sunny with temperatures consistently between 90 and 100 degrees. Throughout April and May I enjoyed a hearty little bounty from my first proper garden but as June approached and the heat intensified I was at a loss trying to keep the fruits of my labor multiplying. There was a brief stretch were the zucchinis stayed strong and luckily, the tomatoes are still multiplying quickly. Here we are now in the week before the 4th of July holiday and the summer storms have finally arrived and seemingly are saving my crops from complete peril.

I have been really enjoying afternoons on the porch while the thunder and lightning crackle overhead. It's also such a pleasure to see the plants coming back from the dryness and the heat. And here I am with plenty of tomatoes and two large zucchini and about to leave town for about two weeks. What to do?

Zucchini bread.

But this is not your mother's zucchini bread recipe. This is a deliciously healthy alternative. It's made with coconut oil, whole grain flour, honey and apple for sweetness and a mix of crunchy nuts and seeds to finish it off. The plan is to bring this with us on the road tomorrow and have it for breakfast for the first couple days of our holiday. I hope to be making it again as soon as I return from being away.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1⁄2 cups whole grain, unbleached flour (or flour of your choice)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamon
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1 medium zucchini, grated
• 1 apple grated
• crushed almonds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds

INSTRUCTIONS
 1. Mix together dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
 2. In a large bowl combine honey, oil, eggs and vanilla. Stir in grated zucchini and apple. Add dry ingredients in small batches.
 3. Stir until well incorporated.
 4. Pour batter into a loaf pan that has been greased with coconut oil and dusted with flour.
 5. Top with crushed almonds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds or nuts & seeds of your choice. Or leave plain.
 6. Place into a 350* oven and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.