A Farm Visit + Blueberry Muffins
We drove up to Mentone, Alabama, recently to pick blueberries at Mountain Sun Farm, the farm we get our weekly vegetables from.
We've gotten to know the family a little through our weekly deliveries, and they're just as kind in person as they are over email. They have a daughter close in age to E, and watching the girls run around together while we picked blueberries was probably my favorite part of the morning.
There's something different about eating food when you've seen exactly where it grows. The girls picked blueberries straight from the bushes and ate them almost as quickly as we could put them in our baskets. We came home with more than we needed, which is really the best kind of problem.
I love knowing that the vegetables and fruit we're feeding our family come from people we trust and that we can occasionally make the trip to see the fields for ourselves.
Of course, some of those blueberries became muffins. They freeze beautifully, and having a few waiting for a slow morning later in the summer feels like a very good reason to make a big batch of muffins.
Blueberry Muffins
Makes about 18 muffins, depending on tin size and how generously you scoop.
What you need
4¼ cups (850 g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (200 g) sugar
2 tablespoons + ½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon fine salt
3 sticks (350 g) cold unsalted butter, diced
2 large eggs
¾ cup (200 g) whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups (about 1 pint) fresh blueberries
How to make them
Heat the oven to 400°F. Line 12–18 muffin tins with parchment liners.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Add the cold diced butter and, using your fingers, rub it into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with the milk and vanilla.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Gently fold in the blueberries.
Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling each one all the way to the top.
For extra crunch and beauty, sprinkle the tops with turbinado sugar.
Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the muffins are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let cool in the pan for five minutes, then transfer to a wire rack… If you can wait that long.
Serve warm. They're especially good reheated.
To freeze
These freeze beautifully. Once completely cooled, place the muffins in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze.
Reheat individual muffins straight from frozen in the microwave or oven until warmed through.