Is it a fruit? Is it a vegetable? Is it a squash? Is it Italian? Here’s what we’ll tell you first: It certainly is used for baking! April 25 was national zucchini bread day and May 1 kicks off the start of zucchini season. Yes, this chameleon we see a lot of in the produce section here in Florida has its very own day. At Meals On Wheels, our Produce On Wheels (POW) recipients are likely to receive 
zucchinis this summer in their free produce bag, as it’s in season.
We’d like to lay out the zucchini facts for you with the assistance of Wikipedia and Spices Inc. Zucchini is a summer squash which can reach almost a meter in length, but is usually harvested at half that size or less. Along with other squashes and pumpkins, it belongs to the species Cucurbita pepo. Zucchini can be dark or light green; and the golden zucchini, is a deep yellow or orange color.
In a culinary context and how chefs cook it, zucchini is treated as a vegetable. It is usually cooked and presented as a savory dish or accompaniment. Botanically, zucchinis are fruits, a type of botanical berry, being the swollen ovary of the zucchini flower.
History lesson: Zucchini, like all squash, has its ancestry in the Americas. However, the varieties of squash typically called “zucchini” were developed in Italy (the ones we enjoy today), many generations after their introduction from the Americas.
French chef Gui Alinat of Piquant Artisan Caterers here in Tampa Bay wanted us to share his healthy, flourless and sweet zucchini bread cake recipe that includes what else but chocolate. How French, No?
Why limit this fruity vegetable to savory when it obviously doesn’t limit itself?
“When you grow up, like me, around the Mediterranean Sea, you know zucchini. In fact, you know too much!” said Gui. As summer approaches and weather gets really warm and sunny, all Mediterranean vegetables blossom all at once and become plentiful. And when they come, they come he said.
“They pop up everywhere. Families cook them en masse, and they appear in various ways, often twice or three times in the same menu. Fried zucchini fritters, zucchini in ratatouille, in minestrone, zucchini bread, and zucchini au gratin.”
In celebration of variety, please enjoy this healthy, flourless and sweet zucchini chocolate bread cake that will certainly leave you saying Merci!
FLOURLESS ZUCCHINI CHOCOLATE BREAD CAKE
Active time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients:
1 cup of 70-85% dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
1 cup of almond butter
3 zucchini, shredded in a food processor
1/3 cup of pure maple syrup
1 egg
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix. Pour into a greased baking pan.
- Bake for 50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the brownie comes out clean.
Quick tip: Variations in oven temperatures occur. Rely on your senses. We want a beautiful, bubbly, golden and crusty top. Monitor the look of your casserole to perfection.
10-minute time saver:
Use your oven’s convection setting, if you have one. It cooks 20% faster and saves your precious time and money on your electrical bill. Adapt the cooking time accordingly when you use this chef’s secret.
Options: To add variety, replace some of the zucchini with eggplant or yellow squash. Add garlic, cayenne, and fresh herbs such as basil, lots of it, to spice things up a bit.
To learn more Chef Gui Alinat and his books, please visit www.chefgui.com.
About Meals On Wheels of Tampa:
Meals On Wheels of Tampa has been committed to nourishing and enriching the independent lives of the homebound and seniors of Tampa since 1975. Today, Meals On Wheels of Tampa serves over 700 people with a hot meal during the lunch hour. Meals On Wheels of Tampa is a 4-star charity and relies on its community for support by not accepting government funding.
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