Zucchini and Chocolate Chip Muffins (& Minneapolis Farmers Market Recommendations)

Last summer, I made a batch of these muffins for my friend. And it was all she could talk about since then. Every time she saw me, it was either "I'm dreaming about those muffins - they were so good!" or "Can you please make me some more of those muffins - they are so good!" or "My birthday is coming up, and all I want is your zucchini muffins! " Well, she celebrated her birthday last weekend (on beautiful Lake Minnetonka) and I did make her a batch. Needless to say, she was happy.

You might be wondering why I didn't simply make her the muffins a long time ago. (It's not that I am a bad friend. Really.) At the time that I made her that first batch, it was the end of the zuchini season in Minnesota, and I have been waiting for zucchini to show up in the farmers market ever since. Our farmers grow an excellent crop and in my mind it was a travesty to purchase them anywhere else. Luckily, my friends accept my wild and sometimes wavering convictions (even though they might not share the same.)

Zucchini is slowly finding its way into the Minneapolis Farmers Market. Last Sunday, I saw them in about three stalls. But come July, they will be abundant. Also worth trying are hummus from Deana's Gourmet (the label on the container suggests using within seven days - it didn't make it past day two in my kitchen; that was that good), locally grown strawberries, and snap peas.

Zucchini and Chocolate Chip Muffins*

Makes 12 medium-sized muffins

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 tbps ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup light sour cream

2 eggs plus 1 egg white

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups grated zucchini

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (or more if you like)

1. Set oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tray with cupcake liners.

2. Combine the first six ingredients, and set aside.

3. Whisk together sugar, oil, sour cream, eggs and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, folding gently. Finally, fold in the zucchini and chocolate morsels, until fully incorporated.

3. Divide among cupcake liners and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set muffin tray on cooling rack for five minutes then remove muffins from pans, and allow to cool completely.

*Although it is unusual to frost muffins, birthdays require some sort of frosting, no? Here I used a basic butter frosting. Of course, this is optional.