INGREDIENTS:

• 4 large eggs
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups all purpose flour or whole-wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 cups zucchini, unpeeled, grated
• 1/3 cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped
• 1 ¼ cups whole walnuts (optional)
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Move oven rack so that the tops of the loaf pans will be in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease bottoms of 2 (8×4-inch) loaf pans.

2. In a bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla, add zucchini and stir until well mixed, about 5 minutes.

3. Stir in remaining ingredients, except sesame seeds.

4. Evenly divide batter between two loaf pans.

5. Scatter the optional sesame seeds on the top of the batter.

6. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

7. Cool in the pans for 15 minutes then turn out onto a cake rack to cool completely.

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