One of the highlights of this column last fall was a recipe for Montauk Highway Zucchini Bread, so named because it was one of those recipes that had been making the rounds. Enough people knew about it to give it cachet. I felt it was high time everybody had the recipe. My version was contributed by Sandra Wolf but variations that had been coming out of other local ovens were similar enough to convince me that they were verses of the same song, a folksong.
Although every self-respecting supermarket stocks zucchini at this time of year, now is really root vegetable season, coming to the "six weeks' want" of bygone eras when the root cellar was empty and the first wild greens of springtime had not yet pushed through the thawing soil. Potatoes, onions, parsnips, turnips, carrots. Carrots!
Several sturdy carrots went from food processor to zucchini bread batter (minus zucchini, of course, and with a few other subtle changes) and we had carrot bread for breakfast, for sandwiches (cream cheese and chutney, or grilled with cheddar), and for snacks. One of the children found it more appealing than the "green bread." Maybe next time we'll try parsnips (might be good) or turnips (might be terrible).
Montauk Highway Carrot Bread
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
3/4 cup cold-pressed walnut oil (see note)
2 cups grated carrots
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan. Beat eggs, gradually adding sugar, until thick. Add the oil in a thin stream and continue beating until mixture is thick. Fold in the carrots. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together and stir into the batter. Stir in vanilla, walnuts, and raisins. Spread in prepared pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Note: The walnut oil is a decidedly luxurious but elegant and delicious touch. Buy it at Second Nature. You may substitute cooking oil.
