I love the bold colors of the produce that fights for space on the counters of my summer kitchen. Those bell-clear reds and bright greens and yellows are destined for jars whose colors will brighten my pantry shelves and rival the tones of an artist's palette. I have clear plans for the reds and will have them packed away in no time, but using all those greens and yellows is more problematic. The squash does me in every year. I can control how much we grow and purchase, but what we inherit from neighbors and well-meaning friends moves me into that dangerous "now what" realm of kitchen creativity. I've decided to use the last of the squash for breads that I can freeze and use later in the year. I'm not a huge fan of zucchini bread. My sweetometer kicks in quickly and I find most loaves are way too sweet for my taste. I've been eyeing this recipe for months now and finally came to the conclusion that at its worst, it would be better than the cloying recipes that I had tried to date. I got with the program this afternoon and can happily report the bread isn't half bad. The recipe is a contest winner that was published in Taste of Home Magazine. The bread is very easy to make and it is perfect for toting to a morning coffee or committee meeting. If you are looking for a sweet treat that can be made with minimal effort, I think you'll be happy with this bread. It uses half the sugar and oil of a typical loaf and its flavor improves with age. I suggest you make it at least 8 hours before you plan to serve it. If you are looking for a lite version of zucchini bread, you might want to give this recipe a try. Here's how the bread is made.

Lite Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/4 cup canola oil

2 egg whites

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1-1/4 cups shredded peeled zucchini

1/2 cup raisins

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan with grease oa non-stick cooking spray.

2) Combine sugar, applesauce, oil, egg whites and vanilla in a medium bowl. Beat until well blended.

3) Combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and baking soda in another bowl. Gradually beat into sugar mixture. Fold in zucchini and raisins.

4) Pour or scrape batter into prepared pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center of bread comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Yield: 1 loaf (12 slices).

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