Zucchini Nut Bread

Several years ago when I was flipping through my aunt and grandmother's recipes getting ready to make cookbooks of these family heirlooms, I realized there was an abundance of zucchini bread recipes. Of course, there were many different varieties, some with nuts, some without, but in the end I figured if there were so many recipes they had both collected, there must be something to this!  As I mentioned it to friends and family, really just gauging their reaction to what I thought would be an odd tasting bread, they all had their stories about whose grandmother and whose mother made the "best" zucchini bread. So with said endorsements I figured I would give it a shot.  Now, when the zucchini is finally coming in in the garden I look forward to my first batch (of many) of this southern favorite.

Zucchini Nut Bread

(This recipe came from Aunt Nellie in 1977)

3 eggs

2/3 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 cups grated raw zucchini, firmly packed (You can use a blender for this)

2 cups flour

2 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

2 t. ground cinnamon

3 t. vanilla extract

1 c. chopped pecans

Beat eggs.  Add sugar, oil and zucchini. Combine dry ingredients and add to egg/zucchini mixture.  Mix well.  Add nuts and vanilla.  Pour into greased bread pans.  Bake for one hour at 350 degrees.  (Check it after 40 minutes.)