Rainy day people

and a recipe for a blueberry zucchini lemon loaf that’s full of seasonal bounty

The days have been as gloomy and dreary and wet as can be.

As July comes to a close, it’s been stomping its feet in rain puddles, turning its nose up at our pleas for the hazy sunny days we dream about when we’re deep in our winter beds.

When the weather’s off, it can feel like everything else is out of sorts too. Not just plans to eat outside, take a walk, ride a bike. The motivation that comes from the sparkle that sunshine gives us is barely a pilot light. Practicality takes over, as pretty summer sandals and flowy dresses give way to sensible shoes and sturdy pants.

Persistent grey skies burrow even deeper into our psyches. In the downpour, we can get lost in the sorrows that come floating to the surface of our minds. When everything’s wet, it can take a long time to get dry.

That’s when we need rainy day people.

Rainy day people always seem to know when it's time to call
Rainy day people don't talk, they just listen till they've heard it all
Rainy day lovers don't lie when they tell 'ya they've been down like you
Rainy day people don't mind if you're cryin' a tear or two

—Rainy Day People, Gordon Lightfoot

There’s a certain kind of friend that always knows what to do. Rain or shine, they’re the reliable ones, the one you can call for anything at all.

Yet with their dependability, rainy day friends sometimes get forgotten when it’s sunny weather. When you’re flying high, their subtle and sure friendship can get overshadowed by the dazzling light of your high. It’s in the crash that rainy day people shine.

Our rainy day friends don’t need our energy to fuel their spirits. They’re comfortable reflecting your light back to you, letting you bask in the warmth they exude. The quiet certitude of rainy day people is as sure and true as a steady rain pattering on our gardens, feeding and nurturing the deep roots beneath.

And as any gardener knows, it’s not the cloudburst that keeps the earth growing; it’s the sure steady rain that slowly, carefully seeps to far down into the ground. If we also stop and listen hard enough, we’ll hear the earth laughing.

After the rain, I went back into the field of sunflowers. It was cool, and I was anything but drowsy. I walked slowly, and listened

to the crazy roots, in the drenched earth, laughing and growing.

—Sometimes, Mary Oliver

Blueberry zucchini lemon loaf

Taste of Home

serves 8

Although I was reminded this week by Emily Nunn over at The Department of Salad that there are many more uses for zucchini than a quick loaf, still, when there’s an abundance of this distinctly summer squash, I can’t resist.

As written, this recipe is meant to be baked in a 15x10x1- inch pan. Having neither that dimension, nor the confidence that the batter wouldn’t spill over, I opted for a loaf pan and made two. I have adjusted the baking time accordingly. You may need to bake it longer; keep an eye on the loaf and cover it with foil if it’s still not baked through.

Note: This recipe is sweet, both with the sugar in the batter and the glaze, so adjust to your taste. You can easily reduce the sugar by ½ cup with no ill effect. That said, my husband’s sweet tooth loved this as is.

Ingredients

2 cups shredded zucchini (do not pack)

½ cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

3¼ cups plus 1 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Glaze

2 cups confectioners' sugar

¼ cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon lemon juice

⅛ teaspoon salt

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9x5 loaf pans.

2. In a medium bowl, combine zucchini, buttermilk, lemon zest and lemon juice; mix gently to combine. Set aside. In another medium bowl, whisk 3¼ cups flour, baking soda and salt together. Set aside. Toss blueberries with 1 tablespoon flour and set aside.

3. In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

4. Gradually add flour mixture to the batter, alternating with zucchini mixture, mixing well after each addition. Fold blueberries into batter.

5. Divide batter between prepared loaf pans. Bake 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Once cool, remove from pan and put on a plate.

6. In a small bowl, mix glaze ingredients until smooth. You can play with the consistency: I like to make this on thinner side so I can pour the glaze over the loaf and let it drip down the sides. Use lemon juice to adjust the consistency. Let stand until set.