Zucchini deserves your attention

Zucchini is always subject to the same cliches: It takes over your garden every summer, growing to the size of a baseball bat seemingly overnight. And, perhaps more damning, it’s a little bit boring. Respectfully, I don’t think we’re going to see a “zucchini girl summer” pop off anytime soon.

But what the summer squash lacks in main character energy, it makes up for in abundance and versatility. Not everything revolves around tomatoes and peaches; people need utilitarian summer produce too! Use its mild flavor to your advantage: Give it the kimchi treatment, shave it to make scarpaccia, or dice it up for an intriguing apple crisp dupe (It’s the courgette equivalent to mock apple pie).

For something that really speaks to how I want to bake in the summer, I’m going for a recipe that’s easy and snackable. A quick bread isn’t an ambitious bake, but that doesn’t mean it’s uninspired. This Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread is a straightforward, one-bowl recipe that won’t require a trip to the grocery store. (Yes, chocolate chips and cocoa count as pantry staples!)

Zucchini gives it a moist, tender crumb, but its flavor isn’t strong or assertive — and that’s an advantage. The double dose of chocolate and cocoa means that this eats more like snacking cake instead of a quick bread, so you can slowly chisel away at it any time of day. It’s exactly the kind of recipe zucchini deserves: something better than anyone expects.

• The only fall-related content I’m consuming right now is upcoming cookbooks, and I can’t wait for Lucas Sin’s Cha Chaan Teng, a love letter to Hong Kong’s diners.

• Adding this coconut-pandan bun from Tall Poppy to my running list of pastries to try.

• My nephew requested an ice cream cake for his birthday, so I’m using our Baked Alaska recipe as a starting point. Now I just need to figure out how to make it Paw Patrol0themed … Advice welcomed!

• These adorable Funny Face Cookies are my favorite discovery from our King Arthur Editorial team chat.