Zucchini Brownies

Back in the Before Times, you'll recall, I observed Vegan Vednesdays. I recognize that dairy farming, in addition to meat farming, contributes to climate change, and despite my undying love of dairy, I wanted to do my part to move toward a more sustainable diet. It was always hard for me and I failed a LOT, but I felt good about my efforts. Maybe I even got some of you thinking about it, too.

And then in March, the pandemic left all of us scrambling for comfort wherever we could find it--from cheese to cheesy TV shows--and faced with a sense of doom, some of us gave ourselves permission to make some dubious choices. What did it matter, if we were potentially all going to perish?

I'm lookin' at you, empty bottles of alcohol

But for the lucky lot of us who did not contract the virus (or at least, not yet), we're still muddling through, seven months later, and maybe it's time to stop using COVID-19 as an excuse for our waywardness, and embrace personal responsibility again in ways that go beyond wearing masks, washing hands, and keeping our distance from others.

That's what prompted me to try making "Vegan Zucchini Fudgy Brownies" (The Vegan 8). I already have a go-to brownie recipe, but what if I could make a truly tempting brownie with no eggs or butter? The Earth would thank me. It was worth a shot.

I guess zucchini season is finally over, but there were still these similar squash at the farmer's market this week. 

One squash was not quite enough, but luckily I had bought a backup squash to supplement. You need a backup squash for every occasion, I always say.

I used regular flour. The batter was very easy to make.

I didn't have a 9x5" loaf pan, so I used a smaller loaf pan plus a couple of very small loaf pans. The smaller ones took about 25 minutes to bake, and the larger one took a few minutes longer.

They turned out really well! If they're not quite as good as brownies with eggs and butter, they're nonetheless very satisfying. And it's pretty awesome to get a serving of vegetables in your dessert.

As the Nov. 3 election looms, I wanted to point you to a wonderful short story that was set in the period just before and after the last presidential election. It is titled "Likes," by Sarah Shun-lien Bynum, from the Oct. 9, 2017 issue of The New Yorker: exactly three years ago today! The story captures so brilliantly the mood of 2016 and, I think, today. I relate to the author's depictions of the struggle against things that we can't control, the pendulum swinging between good and bad, and our grasping at things that make us feel better. And I love the hopeful note on which it ends. Enjoy the story with a vegan brownie.