Savory Muffins

A delicious way to use up your farmer's market bounty

These are a great way to use scraps of cheese, salami, and veggies from the farmer’s market or your CSA. This recipe is adapted from the Naff Caff coffee shop in Queenstown, New Zealand, where they are served as an alternative to sweets before an adventure-packed day. They are an ideal way to sneak veggies into a picky eater’s food.

Yield: 2 dozen regular or 10 jumbo muffins

Muffins:

1 ½  cups canola oil
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
2 cups buttermilk ***
6 cups all-purpose flour
6 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese

*** To make buttermilk, substitute 2 cups of milk with 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice or white vinegar; let sit until thickened)

Filling/toppings:

1 cup grated cheese of your choice

3 – 4 cups of chopped fillings—fresh veggies, herbs, and cubed meat

1/2 cup of toppings—nuts, herbs, seeds, or additional cheese

Suggestions:

• Chopped spinach, feta, oregano, oyster mushrooms, and tomatoes with pine nuts on top.

• Roasted red pepper, onion, Italian parsley, and sharp cheddar cheese with pumpkin seeds on top.

• Chopped ham, green chilies, cilantro, and tomatoes with sharp cheddar on top.

• Fresh corn, basil, smoked turkey, Swiss cheese, and finely chopped kale with sunflower seeds on top.

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease two regular muffin tins or two jumbo tins.

2. Beat the oil, eggs, garlic, and buttermilk with an electric mixer until smooth. Add spinach or fresh herbs at this point if using them.

3. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper, and cheese in a separate bowl. Stir in the filling ingredients.

4. With a large spoon, combine the wet and dry ingredients and stir only enough to mix. This is a delicate process, almost like folding. The batter should be moist but not runny. Adjust with extra flour or buttermilk.

5. Fill each muffin tin to the top—the muffins should be thick enough not to run over the sides. Sprinkle nuts, seeds, and cheese on top, or place an olive on top.

6. Bake for 30–40 minutes, depending on the size of the muffin. Muffins are done when they are golden brown, firm to the touch, and a tester comes out clean. Serve warm.