Poppyseed Zucchini Bread

Sep 11

Sep 11 Poppyseed Zucchini Bread

My grandpa grows zucchini every year on his farm. The zucchini grows to monstrous sizes and there are always too many to know what to do with. So, we end up feeding quite a few to the cows. This year, when I visited, I managed to save a few huge ones and make this zucchini bread for everyone.

I make this poppyseed zucchini bread every year, multiple times a year. It is honestly my favorite zucchini recipe EVER. I am thinking about trying to make it into a layer cake with some sort of lemony frosting because it’s that good. It tastes like Fruit Loops. I think it’s the lemon zest combined with the flavor from the poppyseeds.

I don’t have a garden but when I do I will grow zucchini just to be able to make this zucchini bread.

A few notes:

You can use regular vegetable or canola oil instead of olive oil
You can use lime zest instead of lemon
You can leave out the poppyseeds if you don’t have them
If you don’t fully squeeze out all the liquid from the zucchini, that’s ok, your bread will just have a bit more moisture (but sometimes I like it that way)
You can add an optional lemon glaze to the top to really put it over the edge

Zucchini Poppyseed Bread

adapted from Food52

1 pound zucchini, shredded

1 1/2 cup sugar

lemon zest from 2 to 3 lemons

3/4 cup olive oil

3 eggs

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons poppyseeds

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place grated zucchini in a mesh sieve and sprinkle with a few tablespoons of sugar. Let sit for half an hour. After half an hour, squeeze out as much liquid as you can with your hands.

Combine sugar, lemon zest, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Whisk by hand for 2 minutes.

Slowly stream in the olive oil as you continue to whisk for another 2 to 3 minutes, until oil is fully incorporated.

Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppyseeds. Fold ingredients together with spatula until just combined. Add in zucchini and fold until just combined.

Spoon into loaf pan.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes.