Somehow I never tire of strawberries and rhubarb. Every trip to the greenmarket means at least 2 quarts of strawberries and a few pieces of rhubarb. This week alone we ate 4 quarts (ATE not canned), and the week isn’t over yet. Remember there’s only two of us. I make sure I get some of the first strawberries I can find and probably end up with some of the last. For at least a month, when strawberries are bountiful, it’s like no other food exists.

I can easily sit in front of the TV, a quart in hand, and devour them one by one. But I realize everyone isn’t like me. Some people like to eat their strawberries and rhubarb in the form of something else. So I bake and cook. Jam, crumbles, pancakes–anything I can think of. My latest love is Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins. For me, muffins are simply cupcakes that are acceptable to eat for breakfast. A little less sweet, but still quite a treat.

To remove some of the tartness from the rhubarb, I let it soak in honey for a bit, drawing out its natural juices and sweetness. While I expected the muffins to be bright pink from all the strawberry and rhubarb juices, they were pleasantly speckled with color. These things are chock full of fruit, not even the smallest bite is without a piece of strawberry or rhubarb. As with most ripe fruit desserts, these babies are highly perishable and will only keep at room temperature for a few days without getting fuzzy. You could store them in the fridge and risk them drying out, but my advice is to just eat them all right away. You shouldn’t have much trouble.

Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins (Makes 12)

• 1 c diced rhubarb
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
• 1 c whole wheat flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 c sugar
• 1 c buttermilk
• 1/4 c canola oil
• 1 c diced strawberries

In a small bowl combine rhubarb and honey. Let marinate for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare muffin tin with liners. In a medium bowl, mix flours, baking powder and salt. In another larger bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, buttermilk and oil until thick and pale yellow. Add in flour mixture until just blended. Fold in strawberries and rhubarb.

Divide batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups (they should be pretty full). Bake 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of one of the cupcakes comes out clean.

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