The Zucchini Dilemma

Two days ago, a neighbour rang my doorbell, and offered me three giant zucchini.  I didn't want to be rude, seeing as how I also have a garden and am bringing in zucchini of various stripes myself (some heirloom green '8-Ball' squash,  white and yellow patty pans, and those green and yellow 'standard' shapes that grocery-store-shopping-people normally picture when they hear the word), but I also didn't really want to cook up zucchini that was well past its ideal stage of growth.

Since I'm also pretty frugal, and can't bear to see produce go to waste (that's why I have two pans of Rhubarb Blondies in the oven right now - well, that, and I can justify eating them for breakfasts :)

Now, we regularly make zucchini breakfast muffins here, so the smaller two squash were shoved in the fridge to be dealt with on the weekend..... and the large one I cored (for the chickens), and used as the main ingredient in a Chocolate Zuchinni Cake - something I've had at the back of my mind for a couple of gardening seasons, but never got around to experimenting with. The result was quite dense and moist - impressive, though it should be since it includes oil, butter, *and* sour cream! It's also not so sweet that it tastes like every other chocolate cake out there. I didn't put icing on the top, but added extra chocolate chips sprinkled on as it was cooling - they aren't necessary, and I likely won't use them next time.  There *will* be a next time.

Chocolate Zuchinni Cake
     Adapted from King Arthur Flour,
     For 1 9x13 pan - I doubled and shared

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I would normally substitute homemade applesauce, but I was in a rush)
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
2 cups shredded zucchini
1/2 cup chocolate chips (or a smidge more)

Preheat oven to 325F, and spray pan with baking spray.  Cream together butter, oil, sugar, and vanilla. Beat in eggs. Add soda, powder and salt to measured flour, stir together. Alternately blend in the sour cream and flour mixture to the bowl, adding in the cocoa at the end, and then folding in the zucchini and chocolate chips. Spoon into your pan, and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a bamboo skewer comes out clean (I found this needed the extra five minutes in my oven).