Food Focus Zucchini and Kale Bread Kitchen Wisdom Says... The kale will likely turn the bread loaves green, which I think is a plus. If you don’t have kale, spinach would be a perfect substitute. The recipe needs a better name! Like “Summer Garden Coffee Cake” or something along those lines. We used whole-wheat flour, freshly grated zucchini and fresh, blanched kale. Our student testers were amazed they had eaten kale and zucchini in a bread that was so tasty. I think these would be great in muffins, in which case they’d be bigger portions and you might get more crediting for vegetables. Serves: 96 Per Serving: 131 cal., 1.5 g pro., 5.2 g fat, 18.2 g carb., 0.78 g fiber, 62 mg sod. Meal Pattern: 0.25-oz.-eq. whole grains School gardens grow an abundance of kale, and we are always looking for new ways to serve it. The kids were so excited to see the “treat” and were willing to try it. Most of them loved it; a few said it was good/OK. One said, “love the texture.” My pickiest eater even loved it. When I told them the name was Zucchini and Kale Bread, the look on their faces was priceless. They were so shocked! I personally enjoyed making this recipe. Very simple and quick without many ingredients. I wouldn’t change anything about it. Recipe and Photo: Mansfield (Conn.) Public Schools, www.mansfieldct.gov/153/ School-District Nutritional and Meal Pattern Analyses: Rebecca J. Polson, CC, SNS, Instagram: @ChefRebeccaK12 4 1 / 2 cups granulated sugar 1 cup brown sugar 2 1 / 4 cups vegetable oil 6 eggs 6 cups flour 2 Tbsp. + 3 / 4 tsp. baking powder 1 1 / 2 tsp. salt 2 Tbsp. + 1 1 / 2 tsp. cinnamon 5 1 / 4 cups zucchini, frozen 3 cups kale, frozen 1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Let the kale and zucchini thaw. 2 In a large bowl, combine the sugars, oil and eggs and mix thoroughly. 3 In another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add to the sugar mixture and combine. 4 In a food processor, add the par-thawed zucchini and kale, and blend into a coarse slurry. 5 Carefully fold the zucchini and kale slurry into the batter, which will be -come sticky, cold and dense. 6 Pour the mixture onto a greased full-sized sheet pan and spread evenly. Bake for 20 minutes. Cut into 96 mini-loaf portions by cutting eight rows horizontally and 12 rows vertically. WHOLE-GRAIN GAIN The health-propelled shift to encour-aging more whole grain-rich foods in schools, as well as restaurants and homes, certainly pushes both cooks and diners out of their respective comfort zones, but it does serve a worthy purpose. Compared to the white variety, whole-wheat flour provides a much heftier dose of fiber, vitamins and phytonutrients. Still, “Whole-grain flour does have its challenges,” comments Chef Vahista Ussery, MS, MBA, RDN, founder of To Taste, a web-based culinary consulting company. In simple bread and muffin recipes, you can substitute up to half of the required all-purpose flour with whole-grain flour, but the same isn’t true of yeast breads, such as cinnamon rolls. This is because whole-wheat flour absorbs more liquid than white flour, producing a stiffer dough that doesn’t rise as easily, according to King Arthur Baking Company. Its recommended solution: For every cup of whole-wheat flour substituted into a recipe, increase the liquid by 2 teaspoons. Before kneading (but after mixing), let the dough rest for 30 minutes to fully absorb that liquid. Keep in mind that any substitutions will affect both the color and flavor. “Whole-wheat flour has a nuttier flavor that some kids might not be 46 | eSN | March 2021
School Nutrition Association March 2021: Page 46
