Dark Chocolate Zucchini Cake

I was delivered a case of zucchini this week. We had a wedding shower on the mission so I dressed up the zucchini for the occasion. This cake is amazing! Moist, chocolaty and delicious. In Joseph's own words, "This is the best way to eat Zucchini."

Dark Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Ingredients

• INGREDIENTS:
• 2 medium zucchinis
• 7 Tbls dark cocoa powder
• 2 Tbls coconut oil, softened
• 3 eggs
• 2 c sugar
• 1½ c applesauce
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1½ cups all purpose flour
• ½ c wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 c semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grate the zucchinis and set on paper towels to absorb excess moisture. You should have between 2-3 cups.
3. Combine sugar, eggs, applesauce, zucchini, coconut oil and vanilla in a large bowl.
4. Combine the chocolate chips with a couple tablespoons of the flour to keep them from sinking to the bottom while the cake is baking.
5. Stir in the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cocoa powder, and chocolate chips.
6. Stir until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.
7. Pour the batter into a well-greased bundt pan. Bake the cake for 60-70 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool for ten minutes before inverting onto a plate.

Kodiak Wild Blueberry Jam

It is blueberry season on Kodiak! We have some laiden bushes on the mission and Emily and I made it a point to go and collect a bunch. We learned something valuable. Blueberries take FOR-EVA to pick!!

We got a bunch and decided to make jam. It turned out great. It is a basic recipe with no pectin but it cooks up thick and fruity and delicious.

Kodiak Wild Blueberry Jam

10 cups of fresh blueberries

6 cups granulated sugar

1/3 cup lemon juice

1. Combine the berries, sugar and lemon juice in a heavy bottomed stock pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium. Keep jam at a steady low boil until the berries burst and the jam is thick and reduced by half.

2. Ladel into sterilized and prepared jars. Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes and enjoy.

Peach Jam

I seem to attract large amounts of quickly spoiling produce. The guys at the food bank found out that I am good at saving and using things that might be thrown away, so on Saturday a few peaches turned up in our artic entry.

I spent a good part of my day sorting, peeling and cutting up peaches today, but I also managed to make some jam.

This jam is pretty close to preserves. There is no pectin just a lot of fruit with some sugar and lemon juice. It takes a little while to cook down, but it is totally worth the wait and tastes like South Carolina summer in a jar.

Peach Jam

7 cups of chopped and peeled peaches
2 cups white sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice

1. Combine peaches, sugar and juice in a large heavy bottomed stock pot. Bring the fruit to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and keep at a heavy simmer, stirring regularly until the jam is reduced by half.

2. When the mixture is thick and the fruit is cooked through and soft ladel the jam into serilized and prepared jars. Process in a hot water bath for 10 min.