As the temperatures cool and the leaves change color before falling to the ground I am reminded of the harvest. As autumn settles in like an old friend cuddled under a fleece blanket at a Friday night football game a sense of nostalgia overwhelms me. Growing up in Iowa in a small town my childhood home, a typical ranch style house nestled on a hill backed up by a timber where my brother and I would ride our four wheeler, overlooking a valley of corn fields and hay, I could look out our picture window at the combine tractors. Like buzzing bees bringing pollen back to the nest farmers busy in the fields reaping the treasures of their toil.  The ingredients combined in this recipe highlight what I feel are the flavors of the season. Of course we often think of the pumpkin lattes or hot cocoa, but this loaf highlights the pumpkin spice with fruits, vegetables and seeds that make a indulgent treat.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup Spelt Flour

1 cup Rye Flour

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Baking Soda

¾ tsp Sea Salt

1 tsp Ground Cinnamon

½ tsp Ground Nutmeg

2 Tbsp. Ground Flax Seed

1 tsp Fresh Ginger, minced

2 large Eggs

¼ cup Sunflower Oil

2/3 cup Sugar

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 tsp Lemon Juice

Zest 1 lemon

1 cup Zucchini, grated

1 cup Carrot, grated

1 cup Apple, grated

¼ cup Sunflower Flower Seeds

TOPPING

2 Tbsp. Oatmeal

2 Tbsp. Mini Chocolate

2 Tbsp. Pumpkins Seeds

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 325˚ Fahrenheit, or 165˚ Celsius. Grease an 8×4 inch loaf pan with sunflower oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon spelt flour, dusting the edges.

In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ground flax seed. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs until light and frothy. Add the fresh ginger, sunflower oil, sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice, zest, and beat well for one minute. Grate the zucchini, carrots, and apple and add them to the wet ingredients. Stir to combine.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and fold them in gently until just combined, with no dry patches. The batter will be quite thick, but that’s how it should be — a lot of the moisture is contained in the veggies and apple, and will come out during baking to keep the loaf moist. Do not over-mix.

In a small bowl combine the oatmeal, chocolate ships and sunflower seeds.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, sprinkle with topping until covered and bake for 55-65 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.

Let cool for at least 15-20 minutes before removing from the pan, then let cool completely. Serve immediately, or wrap in plastic and store at room temperature. Keeps wonderfully for 3-4 days.