Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins

If you've read this blog before, then you probably know that if there's a fruit in season (or a vegetable for that matter) I will attempt to make a muffin out of it.  As you can imagine, some foods lend themselves to a tastier end result than others and as luck would have it, rhubarb is one of those foods.  Rhubarb is a springtime vegetable that many people grow in their gardens, but if you don't, it's abundant at many farmer's markets this time of year.  It looks like hot pink celery which makes it intriguing and after baking with it, you'll be hooked.

I do have a few notes on rhubarb, however.  First of all, do not eat the leaves as they are toxic due to their high oxalic acid content.  Many bundles of rhubarb that I see at the market have the majority of their leaves cut off, but in case they don't, just chop them off and throw them away before you cook with it.  Secondly, rhubarb wilts very quickly so a little storage tip I picked up from a local farmer: place the stalks in a glass of water in your fridge and they will stay fresh for several days.

Rhubarb can be prepared in a variety of ways, but most people will choose to cook it rather than eating it raw and add at least some sugar to it as it's extremely tart on it's own.  I really enjoy it in this muffin recipe because it adds a nice tart flavor to counter the sweetness of the fresh strawberries.  I used all whole wheat flour in this recipe as well as plain greek yogurt in order to cut down on the oil, so not only are they lighter, but they are moist as well.  Here is what I did:

Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 egg
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup diced strawberries
1 cup diced rhubarb
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and grease or line muffin tins.  Sift together dry ingredients making sure any lumps from the brown sugar are broken apart.  In a separate bowl mix together the egg, yogurt, vegetable oil and milk.  Pour mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.  Fold in strawberries and rhubarb.  Spoon batter into muffin tins and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Yield: 18 muffins

Enjoy!