Zucchini and walnut bread

This week’s recipe comes from Alex Herbert of Bird Cow Fish at Eveleigh Market. Seasonality has always played a crucial role in her cuisine and as zucchinis are abundant right now it makes sense to take advantage of this fantastically versatile vegetable. From a noodle substitution to fritters and stir frys, the flowers are prized for stuffing with ricotta and herbs before being coated in a light batter and fried… a truly beautiful vegetable to rediscover this late Summer.

I can’t remember exactly where I found this fabulous recipe but I do know that I cannot take the credit for it. It has however become a mainstay on the menu for Bird Cow Fish each Saturday at our stall at Eveleigh Market at The Carriageworks in Redfern. I like that it is not carrot nor banana and that it just works!

I use the fabulous Kurrawong Organic’s zucchinis to make it when I can and, of course, the delicious Alto olive oil and Herbies Spices, which I am sure just lifts it to another level.

Ingredients:

3 eggs
370g castor sugar
250ml olive oil
1 tsp vanilla essence
330g plain flour
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp nutmeg
1 cup roasted walnuts
375g grated zucchini

Method:

1. Butter and line with paper a 2-litre baking loaf tin or 15 small buttered muffin moulds. Preheat your oven to 175 degrees celcius.

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.

3. In a mixer using the paddle attachment mix together the eggs, sugar and olive oil until well blended and becoming fluffy (this should take about 2 minutes).

4. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low until combined. Add the grated zucchini, followed by the walnuts. Make sure the ingredients are thoroughly combined and then transfer to your prepared tin.

5. Bake until a skewer inserted comes out clean (approximately 45 minutes for the loaf or 25 minutes for the small moulds).