I’m on a mission this summer. A mission out of necessity, resulting from the abundance of certain summer squash I planted in my garden. Four plants. What was I thinking?! One zucchini plant alone could feed a family of four.

Finally I succumbed to the classic somewhat sweet zucchini bread, but seasoned it with rosemary and lemon, so you get a savory note. More than good enough. Really good. My conclusion is that zucchini bread works well with sugar. Here we use 1 1/4 cups for 3 cups of zucchini and 3 cups of flour. So, it’s not a lot, but it’s enough to make a lovely, lightly sweet bread.

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 Tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoons salt (omit if using salted butter)
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
• 3 cups grated zucchini (from about 1 pound of zucchini)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare two 4×9-inch loaf pans, either coating with butter or spraying with baking spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and rosemary.
3. Beat the eggs in a mixer (or by hand) until frothy. Beat in the sugar. Beat in the melted butter and olive oil. Stir in the lemon zest and grated zucchini.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, a third at a time, stirring after each incorporation.
5. Divide batter/dough into two loaf pans. Bake in a 350°F oven for 45 to 50 minutes. Test after 40 minutes. If you gently press down on the surface of the loaf, it should bounce back, and a bamboo skewer inserted into the center should come out clean.
6. Remove from the oven. Let cool for a few minutes and then remove the loaves from their pans to cool on a rack.