Picking Blueberries at a Farm & Blueberry Zucchini Bread

It was a very warm August afternoon and Zac, my youngest son, and I headed out to the farm for blueberry picking.   Every year I am surprised by how beautiful the berry bushes are with their bluish crowned fruit.   The branches are laden with large clusters of dark blue berries.  There is definatively something very therapeutic about wandering through the paths of a blueberry farm picking berries. It’s quiet except for the delightful birds singing their songs.  The sun is shining and our lives slow down for a bit.  The blue-crop variety is on and they are so sweet and as big as quarters.  We can’t wait to fill our buckets.  We often joke that the farmer ought to weigh us on our way in and then again on our way out and charge us accordingly.

This zucchini bread recipe has been in my family for years and I’m sure you’ll love it too.  It is one of those recipes that is simple, very moist, and delicious every time.  It has a bit of a different twist with fresh ground nutmeg, lemon zest, flax seed meal, walnuts, and walnut oil.

We were so hot by the time we were finished picking berries, so we headed back to the loft and got our swim suits on.   We packed a simple dinner that consisted of french bread, cheese, and salami. We washed and packed blueberries.  We live quite close to the beach, so we have our routine down to a science.   It was a beautiful evening.  The sky was hazy and the water placid.  We plunged into the cool Lake Michigan water.  It was so refreshing and a perfect ending to a wonderful day.

Blueberry Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:

4 eggs
1 3/4 cups brown cane sugar
3/4 cup Fustini's Arbequina, Meyer Lemon, or Basil olive oil
1/2 cup flax seed meal
1/4 cup Fustini's walnut oil
2 1/2 t vanilla
2 t lemon zest
2 1/2 cups zucchini, grated
1 cup blueberries
3 cups white whole wheat flour
1 t salt
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 1/2 t nutmeg
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1 cup walnuts

Directions:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch metal loaf pan with parchment paper. Lightly oil sides of pan. Mix the eggs, brown sugar, olive oil, flax seed meal, walnut oil, vanilla, and lemon zest together. Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the wet ingredients and mix. Add the nutmeg, cinnamon, walnuts and mix. Mix in the zucchini. Fold in the blueberries by hand.

Bake for 1 hour or until the loaves crack on top and a toothpick comes out clean. Makes 2 loaves.