Counting the Beans and Cooking the Books

Is it because it has a name like squash?  I thought everyone loved it as much as I did…until I went to the TV station today armed with today’s recipe for Summer Squash Bread!  Lee and Dia may have been skeptical at first, but I made them eat their words!

I dropped by the Holly Hill Inn yesterday to pick up a paycheck and asked Ouita for some squash from her beautiful garden.  The Inn uses squash blossoms on its current menu, but has little use for the mass amounts of squash that grow faster than anyone can eat them.

These are great vegetables to grill or sauté, but once they get too big, they aren’t nearly as tender or tasty.  When Ouita looked relieved that someone would be taking it off her hands and offered me up the wheelbarrow to cart off my booty, I knew I’d have to find a creative use for my squash surplus.

Oy! What do I do with all this squash?!?

I’ve had zucchini bread and figured I could use this yellow squash in the same manner.  It was a success!  What a great way to use overgrown squash.  This bread is slightly spiced with cinnamon, studded with walnuts, and delightfully moist. Grated squash provides sweetness and moisture to this bread, in the same way that carrots do so for carrot cake.

Instead of a full cup of oil, I’ve substituted a half cup of applesauce for half the oil, which is a great way to cut back on fat.  Try applesauce instead of oil in your next batch of brownies!

The batter can be baked in loaf pans, muffin tins, or whatever you fancy!

This bread is perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or an afternoon snack. Try it with a bit of jam, honey butter, or whipped cream cheese for an extra treat.

Summer Squash & Walnut Bread

• 3 cups flour
• 1 ½ tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ½ cup oil
• ½ cup applesauce
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 ½ cups grated yellow squash, zucchini, or combination of the above (see note)
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped

*UPDATE: I made a second batch of bread that came out even moister!  The difference?  An extra 1/2 cup of squash, bringing the total to 3 cups, and 1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream, added to the wet ingredients.

Note: To prepare squash, cut off the ends and halve lengthwise. Remove and discard any seeds or pulp and then grate flesh on the large holes of a box grater or with the grater attachment on a food processor.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In a separate medium sized bowl, mix oil, applesauce, eggs, vanilla, sugars, and squash. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix just until combined. Fold in the chopped walnuts.

Divide batter between two greased and floured 9×5x3-inch loaf pans. Alternatively, batter can be made into muffins (either grease and flour tin or use paper liners) or mini loaves. Be cautious not to overfill pans.

Bake loaves for 55-65 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Muffins will take about 20-25 minutes.

Whipped Cream Cheese Spread

• 8 oz. lowfat cream cheese, softened slightly
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Beat ingredients with mixer until fluffy.  Slather onto Summer Squash bread or muffins and watch them disappear!