Chocolate zucchini cake is an old family favorite.  In fact, I still have the recipe as I copied it in my just-learned-cursive hand, with a couple of misspellings for some extra nostalgia (chocalate zucchinni).  Zucchini is one of my favorite vegetables.  It is so versatile – you can make sweet, salty or in between and zucchini will make your dish stand out.  The cake, topped with chocolate chips for an extra sweet treat, has a little bit of a healthy taste while still being sweet, delicious and an excellent way to use up extra zucchini (like that ever happens, right?).

Chocolate Zucchini Cake
½ cup butter
½ cup vegetable oil
1 ¾ cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup sour milk
2 ½ cups flour
4 tablespoons cocoa
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon cloves
2 cups finely diced zucchini (try a cheese grater)
¼ cup chocolate chips

Cream margarine, oil and sugar.  Add eggs, vanilla and sour milk; mix until smooth.

In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients and add to wet mixture.  Stir in diced zucchini.

Spoon batter into greased 9x12x2 baking pan; sprinkle top with chocolate chips.  Bake at 325 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

To make sour milk, add 1 teaspoon lemon juice to one half cup milk.  Let stand 5 minutes before using.

So there you have it – a family tradition.  This is one of the first things I make each year when the zucchini is ripe, and even though I’ve tasted it dozens of times, I can’t help but elicit a sigh of sheer bliss when that first bite, still warm from the oven, finds its way to my mouth.