Our family had a huge garden - my dad actually tore out the front lawn to put it in - and my mom can't bear to waste food. So, come August, zucchini turned up in just about everything.

Zucchini pancakes and zucchini muffins for breakfast. Diced zucchini added to canned soup for lunch. And for dinner? That's when my parents really got creative. There were zucchini enchiladas, zucchini lasagna, zucchini chili, even zucchini pizza.

When I was 12, I vowed I would never try to fool my kids into eating zucchini by sneaking it into otherwise appetizing dishes.

So, what's this week's recipe? Chocolate and zucchini cake.

Yes, I now have a surplus of zucchini in my garden and am trying to foist it on my children.

CHOCOLATE AND ZUCCHINI CAKE

Serves: 10

This recipe is from www.chocolateandzucchini.com.

Ingredients:

1 ½cups (180 grams) all-purpose flour

½ cup (60 grams) whole wheat flour (of course, you can just use 2 cups (40 grams all-purpose flour)

½ cup (40 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup (110 grams) butter, softened

1 cup (160 grams) light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon instant coffee granules (the Nescafe type, the stronger the better)

3 eggs, at room temperature

2 cups zucchini, unpeeled, grated (about 280 grams, two medium)

1 cup (170 grams) chocolate chips

Topping:

40 grams light brown sugar

½ cup (70 grams) hazelnuts, toasted and chopped (or walnuts, or pecans, or whatever)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (360 degrees Fahrenheit). Grease a 3 quart (3-liter or 10-inch) springform cake pan, and flour it or sprinkle with cocoa powder: This is to help the cake unmold easily, or use a nonstick pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

In a food processor, combine the sugar and butter, and mix until fluffy. Add in the vanilla extract and coffee powder, then the eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly between each addition.

Spoon in the flour mixture, reserving the last half-cup of it. Mix thoroughly, the batter will be thick. Add the grated zucchini and the chocolate chips to the reserved flour mixture, and toss to coat. Fold in the batter, and blend thoroughly. Pour into the prepared cake pan, and flatten the surface with a spatula.

In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients, and sprinkle all over the batter. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Turn out on a rack to cool for half an hour, then unmold.