Savory Zucchini-Parmesan Bread, Eating Lighter, and Being Productive

Do you eat differently in summer than in winter?

I hardly recognize myself in summer.

Salads, fruit and light meals satisfy,

while in winter, I need buckets filled with comfort food to make me feel full.  

Every year, when Junior Goo Shoes leaves for camp, 

I want to hang up a sign that says

THE KITCHEN IS CLOSED!

But, we've still got to eat.

So, I turn to my file of recipes called
"Things Junior GS Won't Eat"

and I make them all summer while he's away.

A chilled soup and a crusty bread;
a frittata and a salad;
a savory galette; avocado toast. 

Simple things.

Tonight, I made pasta. 

Rather than serve it with a store-bought bread,
I made a savory zucchini-parmesan bread. 
That was the first of many things I crossed off my to-do list today. 

I've been in a real slump, every since we came home from Italy.
Living la dolce vita is not easily accomplished here in NJ,
where, in real life, laundry, bills, and errands 
pile up faster than I can eat a gelato on a hot day. 

Nope.
I couldn't get myself to do the simplest tasks.
Only what absolutely needed to get done, got done...
nothing more. 
And at the very last minute, I might add.
All of this is excusable in summer, right? 

Today, however, for whatever the reason,
 I was able to grab onto the brass ring of productivity.

I exercised.
Emptied the dishwasher.
Filled the bird feeders.
Made an appointment at the dermatologist. 
Answered emails.
Did some work for my fundraising committee. 
Made plans with friends.
Filled out every single form for school :)
Found out our out-of-pocket expense for Junior Goo Shoes' 
impending wisdom teeth extractions.
Checked a college website for fall tour dates. 

Geez, that felt good.

And then I took about 400 pictures of birds.
OK, not so productive, but I couldn't help myself. 

The ultimate act of today's productivity will be to publish this post tonight.
I just have to CONCENTRATE. 
No more bird pictures till this is finished. 
Unless, of course, the hummingbird comes back  :)

Anyhoo, about the bread. 

I've had this recipe for many years. 
It's from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food.
It's super-easy...like I would make anything but. 
What I love is that no mixer is needed.
You whisk together wet stuff; mix together dry stuff,
grate some zucchini, and combine it all together.
Hutz, mutz, clutz, it's done.
(I love saying that).

A note - I do think that the quality of the parmesan cheese makes a difference.
But, use whatever you have. 

Zucchini-Parmesan Bread

(recipe by Martha Stewart Everyday Food)

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup milk

2 large eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled 

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 pound zucchini (about 1 medium), coarsely grated

Preheat oven to 375°F

Spray a 9 X 5 loaf pan with cooking spray, and dust with flour. Tap out excess.

In a small bowl, whisk oil, milk and eggs.

In a large bowl, mix flour, parmesan cheese, baking powder, salt and pepper.

Mix in zucchini; then add egg mixture until just moistened. Batter will be very thick, like biscuit dough.

Transfer batter to prepared pan; press in gently. 

Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 60-75 minutes* (see note below)
(tent with foil if loaf starts to brown too quickly). 
Cool 15 minutes in pan. Turn out loaf onto a rack to cool completely.  

* My loaf was done in 50 minutes, so be aware that oven cooking times vary.

What's your favorite light summer meal?

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