Our Ferry Building manager loves to bake and it’s become quite the staff favorite - we finally asked her to share her recipe! Her secret was using our Lisbon Lemon oil, which gives the loaf an extra sweet note without a lot of sugar. Makes beautiful muffins as well, easy for sharing!
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional, see other mix-in options below)
Heat oven to 350F degrees. Grease an 8-inch loaf pan with olive oil (can use Lemon or classic oil).
In a large bowl, mix together wet ingredients: grated zucchini (no need to press out any water - just grate and pack/press it into your measuring cups), sugar, olive oil, yogurt, eggs and vanilla extract.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, lemon zest and spices. Then fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, just until moistened - do not over mix. Fold in the walnuts if using.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 40-55 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. The bread will be done when a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan and cool on a rack completely before cutting and serving.
VARIATIONS:
Make a dozen muffins instead. Bake for 18 minutes.
Substitute yellow squash for the zucchini.
Replace the nutmeg with ½ teaspoon each of cardamom and ginger, and swap in Blood Orange EVOO for the Lemon.
Add 1/4 cup raisins, dried cherries, or freeze-dried raspberries.
Add 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate.
Recipe adapted from New York Times Cooking Melissa Clark.
