more muffins

are better than less muffins.

Testing new recipes is fantastic. These muffins are fantastic. Living and working at a farm/bakery is fantastic. I may never go home (sorry Mom!) or back to school (what degree?).

Spiced Peach Muffins

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups dark brown sugar
1/8 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4-5 cups diced fresh peaches

In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, sugar, and spices. Then add the eggs, milk and vegetable oil and mix (some lumps are okay). The mixture will be a bit dry, then add the fruit and everything will be alright.

Spoon into lined or greased muffin pans until almost full (makes 12-16 muffins), and bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.

what's the story

morning glory?

The farm first started baking due to garden devastation by deer, and the first bakery items were muffins. Bread came later and muffins were discontinued, but this morning we rediscovered the bakery's beginnings.

Interesting story: these are muffins, not the cupcakes masquerading as muffins that most people eat in the morning. They are light and delicious, but aside from a little sugar and a bit of oil, are wholesome and healthy and all that.

Morning glory muffins

1/2 cup raisins
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups grated carrots
1 apple, grated
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup walnuts
1/3 cup wheat germ
3 eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 orange juice

Cover the raisins in hot water and let them soak.

Mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and spices, then add the carrots, apple, walnuts, wheat germ and coconut and combine. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with the oil, vanilla and orange juice, then add to the dry mixture and incorporate, along with the (now drained) raisins.

Spoon into greased muffin tins (makes 12 muffins), and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Batter can be refrigerated for up to four days.

pizza pizza yum yum

Raw materials:

This is what happens when you have extra baguette dough laying around and want to make a pizza on the grill, but don't make it flat enough:

keen on it

Quinoa is delicious. Need proof? Look how pretty the plant is.

(

(Photo from drstoilov.wordpress.com)

Quinoa squash salad

2 cups uncooked quinoa

4 cups water or vegetable broth
*1 butternut squash, grilled and cubed

15 oz can of white beans

1/3 cup pumpkin seeds

juice from 1/2 a lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
lots of salt and pepper

*I understand that butternut squash season and grilling season do not necessarily overlap. If you can't find butternut squash, I'd imagine that sweet potato would be an excellent substitute. 

Rinse and drain the quinoa, then add to a pot with the water vegetable broth (you can scale up or down, just keep the ratio of quinoa to water 1:2). Bring to a boil, then lower heat and sinner for 15 minutes, or until the grain is tender and liquid absorbed.

Grilling the squash adds a great smoky flavor, and you can do this two ways: either quarter the squash, remove the pulp, grill, then cool, peel and cube- or peel and cube then place in a roasting pan on the grill.

Add the cubed squash to the quinoa with the white beans (drained, please!), pumpkin seeds (toasted, preferably), lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Serve at room temperature, eat leftovers the next day and be very happy.

hello Monticello

Farm days are long, but bakery days are even longer. Tuesdays are off days, so we went to Thomas Jefferson's house.

The garden in my dreams looks just about like this.

Tree onions are just about the cutest things I've ever seen.

In my new apartment I'll have spinach and kale growing indoors to satisfy my green cravings during the winter, courtesy of TJ.

farm days are long

The potatoes are practically ready to plant themselves.

Plant count so far: tomatoes, melons, bell peppers, okra, and basil
Next in line: potatoes, quinoa, more melons

going farming

(photo credit Goodwin Creek Farm)

I'll be gone for the next month, going wwoof-ing (http://wwoof.org/) at Goodwin Creek Farm and Bakery in Afton, VA (http://www.aftonvirginia.com/).

Have fun, happy summer!