by Jennifer Cisney

In the beauty pageant of produce, zucchini is Miss Congeniality. It is the favorite of every gardener because it is so easy to grow and yields a generous amount of fruit. Zucchini is in fact a fruit because it comes from a flower. In late summer there can be such a surplus of zucchini that August 8 has been declared National Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Day.

Zucchini descended from squash grown in Mesoamerica and was later bred in Milan in the late 19th century. Italian immigrants introduced it to the United States in the 1920s. In Britain and France, zucchini is called courgette, and in South Africa it is known as baby marrow.

Zucchini can grow up to three feet long. Bernard Lavery of Plymouth Devon, UK grew the world’s largest zucchini recorded: a whopping 69.5 inches long and 65 pounds. When it comes to zucchini, biggest is not best, however. Small to medium sized zucchini have the best flavor.

Incredibly, zucchini are 95 percent water. They still have some health benefits, as they have more potassium than a banana and are rich in antioxidants, vitamin C, and vitamin B6. One zucchini is about 25 calories and is low in sodium, has no saturated fat, and is cholesterol-free.

Cooks have developed inventive ways to make use of the proliferant zucchini, using them in both sweet and savory dishes. The flowers are even edible and are typically served stuffed, dipped in batter, and deep fried.

The zucchini pictured here was picked at Wilson College’s Fulton Farm and baked into the bread recipe on the opposite page. This zucchini bread is so good, you may think twice about giving away all your zucchini!

Quite Possibly the Very Best Zucchini Bread
Makes two loaves

INGREDIENTS
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup applesauce
3 cups flour
3 cups shredded zucchini 1 tablespoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda

INSTRUCTIONS
Cream together the sugars, eggs, oil, applesauce, and salt.
Mix in the shredded zucchini and the rest of the ingredients.
Grease two loaf pans and divide the batter into them.
Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaves comes out clean.

NOTES
Feel free to experiment with adding extras such as walnuts, raisins, coconut, or chocolate chips.