By First hard frost. Garden done. Cattle work this week. Patrick rode in the truck. He pointed out two heifers I had not noticed. He sees things I do not. The work is shared.
Patrick on the porch in the afternoon. Coffee in the good cup. The cottonwoods.
Brisket in the smoker. Twelve hours. Bark like asphalt. Sliced thin.
The sky was the sky. It held everything.
Storm came through Friday night. Thunder. The dog hid under the bed. The kids slept through it. The cattle bunched up by the windbreak. Standard.
Drove to Billings for parts Friday. Stopped at the cemetery on the way home. Stood for ten minutes. Came home.
The Tuesday Roundup AA meeting was eleven this week — three new guys from a referral. The room was full. The coffee was strong.
Wrote a blog post Friday night. The first one in two months. About making chili in a snowstorm. Short. Practical. Posted it. Forgot about it.
Mended the chute hinge Wednesday. Welder was finicky. Got it on the third try. Patrick used to do this. I do it now.
Took a walk to the river before supper Tuesday. The cottonwoods were silver. The water was running. I did not think much. I just walked.
Worked on the truck Saturday afternoon. Plugs and wires. Two hours. Hands black with grease. Came in. Showered. Ate.
The barn cats are doing their job. Down to one mouse this week, in the feed shed. The cats brought it to the porch as proof. They are professionals.
A reader emailed about the elk chili recipe. Asked what beer to use if non-alcoholic was not available. I wrote back: any beer is wrong if you don't drink. Use stock.
The wood pile is half what it was at Thanksgiving. I will split another cord on Saturday. The cord will be ready by next winter. The wood always is.
Three days of horses this week. The work is meditative. The horses know. The owners pay. The cycle holds.
Mr. Whelan from down the road came over Saturday with a story about a horse he sold in 1979. The story took an hour. I listened. He needed someone to tell it to.
A neighbor's heifer was choking on a corn cob. I drove over with my emergency kit. Cleared the cob with a length of garden hose. The heifer recovered. The neighbor brought a pie the next day.
Truck started cold Tuesday. Twelve below. Battery is the original. I will replace it before next winter. I always say I will replace it before next winter. I never have.
Drove the back fence line Saturday. Two posts down from elk. Replaced them in the morning. The fence held the rest of the week.
Hank, the dog, herded the chickens by accident. He apologized in the way dogs apologize — eyes down, tail low. The chickens were unimpressed.
Hauled three bull calves to the auction yard Wednesday. Got a fair price. Came home. Counted the cash. Put it in the ranch account.
Listened to the cattle market report on AM radio while I worked the shop. Beef is up. Feed is up. The math is the math.
The Musselshell was clear Sunday. Could see trout in the deeper pools. Did not fish. Just watched.
The garden is done — first hard frost saw to that — but there were still a few zucchini I’d pulled before the cold hit, sitting in a paper bag on the mudroom floor. A neighbor brought a pie this week and it reminded me that the kitchen earns its keep in winter the same way the barn does. This cake is what I made with what was left. It is honest food: dark, not too sweet, with a streusel top that holds up to a second day.
Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Brown Sugar Streusel
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes | Servings: 12
Ingredients
- Streusel Topping:
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Cake:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup neutral oil (such as vegetable or canola)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup whole milk or buttermilk
- 2 cups grated zucchini (about 2 medium), excess moisture squeezed out
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat and prep. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan and lightly flour it, or line with parchment paper.
- Make the streusel. In a small bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Work in the cold butter pieces with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the chocolate chips. Refrigerate while you make the batter.
- Whisk dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until evenly combined.
- Mix wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, oil, vanilla, and milk until smooth and slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
- Combine and fold. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined — a few streaks are fine. Fold in the grated zucchini and chocolate chips. Do not overmix.
- Assemble. Pour batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Scatter the cold streusel topping evenly over the surface.
- Bake. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. The streusel should be set and the edges pulling slightly from the pan.
- Cool and cut. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature. Keeps covered at room temperature for 2 days, or refrigerated for 4.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 340 | Protein: 5g | Fat: 16g | Carbs: 48g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 210mg