Zucchini Soda Bread

My zucchini plant is looking downright tired. Its leaves are laying limply on the grass, it has very few blossoms, and the plant's hue has faded to a sad brown-green. I do not mourn this transformation. I thought that in its haggard state it would not be capable of producing more zucchini. I was wrong. I lugged in a giant the other day, hacked off a big hunk of it and proceeded to grate away, turning it into two loaves of delicious soda bread. I froze one and am currently eating the other slathered with honey butter.

Soda bread is one of those useful things to have in your baking repertoire as there is no rising required and it all comes together in one bowl. Sometimes soda bread can have a tough, dry quality. I've found that you need a light touch to avoid that. Don't overwork the dough, don't overbake it and things should work out fine.

For two loaves:

• 3½ cups White Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• ½ cup unsalted sunflower seeds
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1½ cups buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups finely grated zucchini

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together flours, cornmeal, seeds, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add buttermilk, egg and zucchini. Stir together until just moistened.

Spoon half the dough in a mound on one side of a greased baking pan. Repeat with remaining dough on the other side. Flour hands and gently pat dough into two 8-inch rounds. With a serrated knife, cut an X on the top of each loaf, ½-inch deep.

Bake for 23-25 minutes in the center of the oven. Cool on a wire rack.