200-Year-Old Zucchini Cake

A garden witch's rainy day summer bake

Garden vegetables my neighbor grew, fit with a zucchini bigger than my head!

THE STORY OF GLADYS AND THE SECRET CAKE

We sat by the fire sipping Bigelow Earl Grey tea as my grandmother (who all the grandkids call Birdie, but her real name is Joan) told me the story of Gladys. Birdie loves Bigelow because each packet is wrapped in foil. When you tear the packet, the most delightful scent of Earl Grey hits your nose. As kids, we would put the opened packet over our nose and take deep breaths to enjoy the fleeting scent before we tossed them in the trash. We probably looked crazy, but those silly little delights are heaven.

Anyways, back to Gladys.

In the sixties, my grandparents owned a drugstore in a sleepy beach town, by which my grandmother would work the front counter. The locals took quite a liking to the place (it had good energy), and many friendships were made over the years between my grandparents and their patrons. One day Birdie and a regular, Gladys, were chatting across the counter about old family recipes. Birdie shared how her grandmother would make the best fruitcake in a cast iron. When it was Gladys’ time to share, her appearance changed. In a more serious, almost secretive tone, she said: