rain rain go away

This always happens when I go to the farmer’s market… I have two or three things in mind that I need to get, but I end up buying fresh, local produce until either my backpack is full or my wallet is empty.  So, this week I ended up with some delicious yellow summer squash that I needed to use up.  I thought, if carrot cake is classic and zucchini bread is divine, why not give squash bread a go?  And why not make it vegan while I’m at it?  Here’s what I came up with:

(Due to the amount of squash I had on hand, I made enough batter for six muffins and one large loaf, but the recipe can easily be halved for a single medium-sized loaf, in which case you’d just want to bake it at 350 deg. for 55-60 minutes.)

Dry ingredients:

• 3 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Wet Ingredients:

• 2 c. coarsely grated summer squash
• 2 c. raw cane sugar
• 1/4 c. canola oil
• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. honey
• 1 over-ripe banana, mashed
• 1 carrot, finely grated
• zest of 1 lime

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, make a well in the center, and set aside.  Mix wet ingredients in a separate large mixing bowl.  Add wet mixture to dry mixture all at once and stir just until moistened.  If desired, fold in 1 cup chopped pecans.  Fill six paper-lined muffin tins level with top of pan.  Pour remaining batter into a greased 8×4x2 loaf pan.  Bake loaf and muffins for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center of a muffin comes out clean.  After removing muffins, lower oven temp. to 350 deg. and bake loaf for another 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool for 10 min. in pan on a rack, then remove from pan to cool completely.  Now, sit back and enjoy Vegan Summer Squash Bread Perfection!