Scribbles & Munch

    ...by which I mean blueberries and zucchini. One we love, and one many approach with caution. And here is where the two meet in tasty harmony.
    I'm not a gardener. I wish I was, I really, TRULY wish I was--but lack of education, experience, and appropriate space has rendered me a rank amateur. Some day I hope to change that, but for now I can only gaze with frank admiration at the cultivated culinary crucibles that are other people's gardens, like that of my friend Addi, who - along with her charming mother - have two of the truest of green thumbs I have ever encountered. Until I can join their ranks, I can only listen to their tales and indulge in the next best thing: farmer's markets.
     I could wax loquacious about farmer's markets literally every day they're open. I love them with a passion that puts World Cup fans to shame.* And what do they have in common with home gardeners throughout the summer months? They are practically giving away zucchini! (Once I actually did find a farmer's market stand that was giving away a free zucchini with every purchase--I think the other stalls gave him a stern talking-to and that was the end of that.) There seems to be two reasons for this: a) zucchini populates like a tribble, and b) Americans seem to be sadly unimaginative when it comes to cooking them. Zucchini, that is...not tribbles. The thing is, zucchini lose flavor and texture after a few days of being in the fridge, so the challenge is in sufficiently rapid consumption. And the answer is widely known: bake those suckers into some kind of bread.
     Shred it and put it in a muffin! This can be done after the zucchini has lost some of its luster, so come Wednesday it's a good way to use up what you bought at last Friday's market. I'm acquainted with a number of tasty zucchini recipes, including a really nice fudgy chocolate muffin, but the other marvelous thing about summer is berries, and good blueberries are a particular weakness of mine. This last weekend at the North Market Farmer's Market in Columbus, I was especially inspired by the plump, sweet berries being offered up by Martin Stelhi's farm.

In salute to their fruit** I created the following breakfast treat, which I have been thoroughly enjoying this week! You want to taste summer first thing in the morning? This is the way to do it, my friend...and use up some of that excess zucchini in the process.

Z.D.'s Marvelously Moist, Lightly Lemony, Blueberry Muffins (with Zucchini)

1 Cup all-purpose flour
1/2 Cup spelt flour (Ok, you can just use more AP flour if you have to)
1 & 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
one fresh lemon (I recommend washing it with soap and water to get the wax off--I always do)
2/3 Cup olive oil (go ahead and use a nice fruity one!)
1 Cup (packed) golden brown sugar
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (yes, almond!)
1 & 1/3 Cup coarsely grated zucchini
1 Cup fresh blueberries

- Preheat your oven to 350º F, and line muffin tins with enough papers for about 16 muffins (I say "about," because in my experience whenever I make muffins or cupcakes the batter NEVER makes the same amount the recipes says, so even though I got 16 muffins out of this recipe I won't pretend for a moment you'll get the same).

- Toss all dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Using your finest grater (I <3 my microplane) zest the lemon directly into your flour mixture (this allows all the nummy citrus oil to spray in as well). Toss to combine.

- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, oil and extract until thoroughly combined. Add the flour mixture, and stir with a rubber spatula until mostly combined. Fold in the zucchini and blueberries until batter is just incorporated.

- Fill muffin papers no more than 3/4's full. Bake 27 - 30 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan. These muffins are so splendidly moist you can just leave them in the muffin tin loosely covered with foil and they'll stay scrumptious for a few days. Now you may have noticed this recipe left you with a denuded lemon--once the zest is removed, these poor sour delights can dry out, so either wrap it in plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge for future use, or juice that sucker and get crackin' on some lemonade! Summer's a wastin'!



*Ok, maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but only in the sense that I don't think I'd ever trample people to death storming the field.

**Woohoo, that rhymed!