Zucchini Breakfast Bread

From the garden

• 2 cups zucchini, coarsely grated (about 1 large fruit), lightly pressed dry
• ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted (optional)

From the pantry

• 2 cups all-purpose flour — whisked with 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, and 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup neutral oil
• 2 eggs
• ½ tsp salt

1. Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan. Grate the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater and press it briefly in a clean towel — you want it damp, not dripping, since that moisture is what keeps the loaf tender.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with both sugars and the oil until glossy. Stir in the zucchini.
3. In a second bowl, whisk the flour with the baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Fold the dry mix into the wet with a spatula just until no flour streaks remain — a few lumps are fine, and overmixing makes the crumb tough. Fold in the nuts if using.
4. Scrape into the pan and bake 50–60 minutes, until deeply golden and a skewer poked into the center comes out with moist crumbs but no wet batter. Tent with foil for the last 15 minutes if the top browns fast.
5. Cool in the pan 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely before slicing — it cuts cleanly and tastes best once fully cool.