When you bring home souvenirs from a trip, do you pick up a coffee mug? A refrigerator magnet? Maybe a t-shirt? To commemorate an incredible vacation in Idaho, I just carefully transported — in a cooler, for the 21-hour drive covering 4 states, a very precious memento. A small ziplock bag full of… huckleberries.
Why huckleberries?
I had never even seen a huckleberry before this trip. But I absolutely had to recreate a delicious treat that my dear friend Mim had shared with me during our stay.
One morning, she came to meet me for a hike. In her hand, wrapped carefully in a napkin, was a slice of warm Huckleberry Zucchini Bread that her mom Vi had pulled out of the oven just minutes before. The tiny, tart huckleberries were a perfect match for the soft, sweet bread. Did I mention it was still warm?
I had to get some huckleberries, and I had to have the recipe.
The recipe part was easy. Vi was happy to share it – and she filled me in on how elusive those huckleberries can be. Nearly impossible to cultivate, finding and picking them is a competitive sport among many locals. They are usually found along old logging roads or old forest burns.
I’d like to say that I foraged my souvenir berries myself — but that would have involved bear spray, hiking boots, and bribing someone to reveal the current “huckleberry hot spot.” Besides, as bad as I wanted them, I make it a practice not to get between a bear and its next meal.
Mim told me about a farm stand in town that was rumored to have some left. I struck gold — or purple — and picked up the pint-sized baggie full of the cute little berries and pulled out my wallet to pay.
“That’ll be $19.”
I’d been told they were expensive, but this was one cup of huckleberries. ONE. CUP.
I turned around to make sure Husband was otherwise occupied, while I quickly paid my huckleberry dealer and headed back to the car. I searched the web for the best way to save them until I could make Vi’s bread.
Today, back home, with fall in the air — and missing the mountains, I made a loaf.
It was just as delicious as that first bite had been, and brought back memories of a wonderful time in a beautiful part of the world, with people I love.
If you can’t get your hands on huckleberries, you could sure use blueberries in this bread. Or, if you have money to burn, go ahead and order some online. I’ll warn you though – 3 pounds runs about $50!
- 1¾ cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup grated zucchini
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 stick butter, melted
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup chopped walnuts
- 1 cup huckleberries {or blueberries}
- Preheat oven to 350º. Grease and flour a loaf pan or 8" square pan.
- Combine dry ingredients. Mix zucchini, egg, butter and vanilla. Stir into flour mixture. Fold in nuts and huckleberries.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
My dear friend Mim and her precious mom Vi.
Error thrown
Call to undefined function ereg()