An Excess of Zucchini, and a Gluten Free Zucchini Bread Recipe

I didn't plant much in our garden this year, because I knew I'd be too busy to maintain it. But one thing I did plant was zucchini. We cook with it a lot - great grilled or in stir fry's, stuffed, in soups and sauces. So I never imagined I'd have the problem of too much zucchini.

I also didn't notice when I bought the little six pack of zucchini seedlings that there were actually two plants in each section, for a total of twelve plants! Needless to say we've had more zucchini than we've known what to do with this summer. And some of them have been HUGE!

Starting the evening of our last Pop Up Shop, I've noticed a chill in the air that makes me excited for fall, which is my favorite time of year. I've started knitting myself a new hat, and drinking hot chai tea on the cooler mornings. This recipe calls for a lot of the same spices that are in chai, including cardamom. Happy baking!

Gluten Free Zucchini Bread Recipe

From Gluten Free Bible
Makes 1 loaf, serves about 12

Dry:
2 1/2 cups Gluten Free Flour Blend
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup teff flour (I used white rice flour)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

Wet:
1 1/4 cups whole milk (I used 2% lactose free milk)
2 eggs
1/4 cup canola oil (I used olive oil)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Filling:
2 cups grated zucchini, squeezed dry
1 cup chopped walnuts/raisins/chocolate chips or some combinations of these (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x5" loaf pan with parchment paper or spray with gluten free cooking spray such as PAM Coconut Oil Spray.
2. After you have grated your zucchini, transfer it to a sieve and press/squeeze over the sink to drain excess juice. This is an important step.
3. Combine dry ingredients, making sure to break up any lumps (brown sugar, I'm looking at you!).
4. Whisk together wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry, and stir briefly.
5. Add grated zucchini and other optional filling ingredients and continue to stir until mixture is relatively smooth. Try not to over-mix.
6. Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake for one hour, or until a toothpick or knife inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean. Check the loaf at about 30 minutes for browning. If loaf is getting too toasty on top, cover loosely with a tin foil tent. Remove from pan onto wire rack to cool when it's done. The loaf slices better when it's cool, but tastes amazing still steaming from the oven, so it's your call.

Serving suggestions: Enjoy plain or with butter or cream cheese.

Featured in this post: Our Dinner Plate in Natural.

Strawberry Moon Sangria

Summer is officially here, and so are the strawberries. This time of year we almost always have a pint of fresh Maine strawberries in the house - usually from Beth's.

Our pop up shop last weekend was such a great way to kick off the summer. We were blown away by the support you all showed by coming, shopping, saying nice things, and hanging out until the mosquitoes forced us to admit it was time to get Long Grain take-out and call it a night.

Many of you who came for the reception on Saturday night asked about our Strawberry Moon Sangria recipe. It's so easy and pretty and delicious, I thought I'd share! I got the sparkling pink lemonade and the cucumber soda from The Market Basket in Rockport, incase anyone around the Camden/Rockport area is wondering where to get such things.

Scroll down for the recipe! Happy summer!

P.S. Our good friend Ben Breda made this knife and it is everything. You really need one. Check out his website.

Camden Clay Co.'s Strawberry Moon Sangria

(Makes a half a pitcher, easily doubled)

• 2 cups Rosé such as La Vieille Ferme
• 1 cup Lorina Pink Citrus Lemonade, or other sparkling lemonade
• 1/4 cup Mr. Q. Cucumber sparkling cucumber soda
• about half a lemon sliced
• a handful of sliced fresh Maine strawberries

Mix it all together in a pitcher and serve over ice! So simple, so summery, so good.

This post features our Noodle Bowl in Natural, and our Dessert Bowl in Rose.

Dessert for Breakfast: Berry Crumble Recipe

Good morning from foggy Midcoast Maine! Here at Camden Clay Co. we live with a few dietary restrictions, so when I find a gluten-free, low-FODMAP recipe that's this tasty, it's a really exciting thing. I discovered this particular recipe a few weeks ago and have been making it once a week ever since. It's so easy, has no dairy and very little sugar, and whenever I make it I think to myself, "this is basically breakfast."

So this morning when I woke up to a grey, overcast Sunday, I decided I deserved a little treat. I made myself a cup of earl grey lavender tea with milk (lactose-free of course) and sugar, and got out the berry crumble. Scroll down for the recipe, and enjoy!

Gluten Free and Low-FODMAP Berry Crumble

Original recipe is from WorthCooking.net

Prep time:  8 mins

Cook time:  30 mins

Total time:  38 mins

Serves: 4-6

INGREDIENTS

For the filling

• 12 oz bag frozen berries, I use Wyman's because they are a Maine company. I like to use a mix, but you can just use blueberries too.
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• zest of 1 orange (optional)
• 1 teaspoon potato starch, or other starch

For the topping

• 1¼ cup gluten free old fashioned rolled oats (plus a little more for sprinkling on top)
• 2 Tablespoons tapioca starch
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 Tablespoons natural cane sugar
• 4 Tablespoons virgin coconut oil (solid or liquid)
• 1 Tablespoon water

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Put the frozen berries in a pie plate or baking dish, add the maple syrup, orange zest, vanilla and salt. Stir together. Sprinkle with the starch, and stir in.
3. In the bowl of your food processor put the oats, tapioca starch, sugar, salt and baking powder. Blend until the oats are ground into a slightly coarse meal. Add the oil and water, blend until incorporated.
4. Crumble the topping onto the berries and spread out somewhat evenly. Break up bigger clumps into into smaller pieces. Sprinkle a few extra oats on top before baking for a little texture.
5. Bake crisp for 30-35 minutes, until the crisp is baked through.
6. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before eating.

I recommend serving it with a scoop of non-dairy vanilla ice cream. My favorite is Luna & Larry's Organic Coconut Bliss Vanilla Island flavor. Yum!

This post features our Dessert Bowl in Fog, and our Builder's Mug in Rose.