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‘Tis the season to find ways to cook zucchini, so I offer this delicious sweet bread. Sadly, one loaf uses only one medium-sized squash.They say in Vermont not to leave your car unlocked this time of year, lest you return to find it full of zucchini. I get my vegetables from Taliaferro Farm, and this year Farmer Pete has yellow zucchini. They are moister and smoother than the regular green ones. I doubled this recipe and used a combination of green and yellow zukes – came out great!

As usual, this recipe is based on one in the Joy of Cooking, 2006 edition.

One 9×5″ loaf. Preheat the oven to 350°.

Grate one medium zucchini. Twist into a dishtowel and squeeze out a much water as you can. Set aside.

Whisk together:

• 1 ¼ cup gluten-free flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 ¼ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg

Blend well in a large bowl:

• ½ cup sugar
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• ½ cup vegetable oil (I use coconut)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ½ tsp salt

Stir in the dry ingredients. Blend in with a few swift strokes:

• 4 cups grated zucchini
• 1 ½ cups chopped walnuts or pecans

Scrape the batter into a greased pan. Bake until the bread pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 45 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes before unmolding to cool completely on the rack.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Oil and flour a 9-inch square baking pan, or line bottom with waxed paper or parchment paper. [Amounts in square brackets are for a 9" × 13" pan]

In a large bowl, whisk together

• 1 ½ [2 ¼] cups Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour mix (Bob’s is a good gluten-free mix, but in a pinch you can use a blend of chickpea, favabean, rice, a little buckwheat…)
• 1 [1 ½] teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ [¼+] teaspoon salt

In another large bowl, whisk together

• ½ [¾] cup packed light or dark brown sugar
• ¼ cup light or dark molasses
• ¼ cup honey [¾ cup molasses+honey]
• 1 [2] large egg

Whisk in to the liquids

• ½ [¾] cup minced fresh ginger

In a small saucepan, over low heat, combine

• ½ [¾] cup water
• ¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter or 6 Tbs safflower or walnut oil or some other mild oil. [12 Tbs butter or 9 Tbs oil]

Whisk the warm water into the molasses mixture, then add flour mixture and stir just until smooth.

Scrape batter into pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 [40] minutes. Allow cake to cool in pan for about 10 minutes. Slide a thick knife around edge of pan to loosen cake. Invert cake and peel off paper liner, if using. Finish cooling right side up on a rack.