I dream of one day having a back yard. And in that yard, a flourishing garden. I'm picturing raised beds to nurture my oregano, parsley, rosemary, cilantro, thyme, and basil to perfection. A squash patch next to a bushel of sweet cherry tomatoes. Maybe even some lemon cucumbers (a delicious rare treat I discovered earlier this summer.) And daisies! And hydrangeas! And tulips! (Oh my!) Because in this perfect dream world, I am also a master florist and I can do these things.
I've griped about my faux-gardening woes in the past. Window boxes and apartment livin' just don't cut it. (Sidenote: I am a glutton for punishment. What did I buy at Trader Joe's last weekend? Another basil plant. How is it doing today, three days later, after replanting it in a vase more conducive to growth and showering it constant nourishment and sunlight, you ask? 100% worse than in the store. I would say "Never Again". But I do not know that to be true.) However, when you have friends (and friends of friends) with bountiful, beautiful gardens, you have the luxury to mooch. And mooch did I ever.
When these friends of friends hand you a zucchini the size of a newborn baby, make zucchini bread. That's what I always say. This bread has a similar texture and flavor of carrot cake, but the zucchini flavor is unique and distinct. I added chocolate chips to mine (because, why not?) but I'd recommend going without, as I think it undermines the integrity of the zucchini flavor. I also halved Deb's recipe (her recipe yields two loaves) and it baked perfectly.
