Spring bounty

My own garden plants are tiny, despite the rain that brought this old guy out onto the walking path by the creek and lake. But the CSA has started pumping out greens for their spring box. The asparagus disappears quickly, but the radish, turnip, kohlrabi, and beet greens need to be used, as well as the kale. I threw some greens in dal, and ate others with eggs steamed in the hole in the covered skillet. But still have tons of kale. 

The CSA also gave us coarse red polenta from Meadowlark Farm and Mill in Wisconsin. I'm not the biggest fan of polenta the gelatinous mass of porridgy corn stuff (if you can't tell). So I looked through recipes for polenta muffins and tweaked a few to make my own recipe. Made it vegan to avoid the need for eggs ($$$), and just felt like seeing if I could get a good fake bleu cheese flavor.

Polenta kale muffins with sundried tomatoes, walnuts, and vegan bleu cheese

tweaked from several recipes but mainly: https://somebodyfeedseb.com/cheesy-polenta-muffins-with-chilli-and-sundried-tomatoes/

Servings

8 small muffins

Equipment

8 Silicone Cupcake Molds, or 12-cup muffin tin with 8 cups greased well

Ingredients

2 Tablespoon canola oil (or melted vegan or real butter, plus extra for greasing) 

1/2 cup polenta (if coarse, soak it in part of the milk for a while before mixing this up)

1 cup plain (or half whole wheat) AP flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon salt depending on the salt level of your sun-dried tomatoes 

1 egg (or flax or chia egg equivalent - 1 Tbsp chia or ground flax seeds in 3 Tbsp hot water)

3/4 cup non-dairy milk (I used oatmilk) with 1 tsp cider vinegar, OR plain unsweetened yogurt

Cheese substitute - mix together :

1/4 cup almond flour or ground almonds 

1 teaspoon mild/ white miso

1/4 cup nutritional yeast 

(OR 1/4 cup cheddar cheese coarsely grated, or bleu or feta cheese, crumbled)

kale (small bunch, to taste how much you use - more will make chunkier muffins) - wash, dice kale and microwave in a little water, covered, just long enough  to wilt. Drain and let sit a few minutes to cool.

Optional flavorings (I used them all, mmm):

1 to 2 Tbsp sundried tomatoes in oil drained and chopped (more to taste)

1/8 to 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped (I use "pieces" broken up more by hand because they're usually cheaper)

1 tsp chill powder

1/2 tsp chipotle flakes, or red pepper flakes 

1/2 tsp dried parsley

2 spring onions thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 350° F regular oven (180°C Fan).

If you're using a 12-hole muffin tin, grease 8 cups very well with vegan or real butter, or use silicone cupcake molds. These muffins can really stick.

Mix polenta, flour, baking powder, baking soda and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Stir in the fake Bleu cheese mix or real cheese (reserve a small handful of real cheese for the top), drained and cooled kale, finely sliced spring onions and chilli.

In a separate large bowl lightly beat the egg (fake or real) with melted butter or oil, and the rest of the milk or yoghurt. Whisk together until mixed.

Pour into the dry ingredients and fold them together. Add the sun-dried tomatoes. Stir. If it seems too dry, add a little more of the milk or some water. It should be thick and clingy but not too dry.

Divide between the holes of the muffin tin. I got 8 muffins out of the mixture, piled up in a mound above the tin level - it will not puff up very much so put it in the shape you want. Top with the remaining cheddar if used.

Bake for 20-25 mins. They will not puff up too much but should be crispy on top and moist inside. 

Let sit a few minutes and use a butter knife to see how easily they come up. Loosen them all up in their cups or put out on a rack to cool. Test one by opening it up, or use a cake tester ur butter knife to see how clean they remain. If it's still undone inside, bake a little longer at a 300 or let it sit in the warm but off oven to firm up a little more. They should be moist but not gooey. To taste, of course...