Summer is in Full Bloom!

As the time quickly approaches when students return to Red Hawk, the garden is in full summer bloom!  Now is the time for tomatoes, zucchini and peppers.  The first little eggplants are popping up and the gourds planted by Mrs. Dwyer's class last spring are almost the size of baseball bats!  If you have a garden of your own or visit one of the Boulder County's many farmers market, then you might just happen to have a surplus of zucchini!  Here's a great muffin recipe to try with some of it (I hear Steve the custodian loves Zucchini Muffins!):

ingredients:

1. 2 cups all purpose flour
2. 1 cup cocoa, sifted
3. 1/2 teaspoon salt
4. 2 teaspoon baking soda
5. 1 teaspoon allspice
6. 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
7. 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
8. 1/4 cup melted butter
9. 3/4 cup vegetable oil
10. 3 eggs
11. 1 teaspoon vanilla
12. 1/2 cup buttermilk
13. 2 cups zucchini, washed and dried, ends and stems removed, cut in half lengthwise and seeded,and grated
14. 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 20 muffin cups with muffin liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl whisk together flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda, allspice and cinnamon; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl whisk together the sugar, butter and oil. Beat in eggs, one at a time until combined. Stir in vanilla, buttermilk, zucchini and chocolate chips. Gently stir the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined.
4. Divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups. Bake until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and muffin tops are springy to the touch, 20 to 24 minutes; rotating halfway through baking time. Cool muffins in muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool 5 minutes before serving.

Yields: 20 standard muffins

Source: www.sweetpeaskitchen.com