Fall Faves + Raspberry Rosemary Muffins

Despite the pressure, I haven't really jumped on the pumpkin bandwagon yet, or shall I say, hayride...

Though I may have roasted a butternut squash in a small dice, and an acorn squash in moon-like wedges,  sprinkling the nibs into a few salads and layering the half-moons with parsley, olives and feta beneath roast salmon, it's all merely been a flirtation...that inclination to fold pumpkin into everything hasn't hit yet. 

Apples and tomatoes and raspberries. They are still in their hay day as far as I'm concerned. So let's discuss. Today, I'm going to pass on 3 ways I've used those aforementioned early fall ingredients that still hint at summer. Besides just enjoying them raw and fresh...




For apples: This salad dressing. My gosh, it's totally worth the 5 minute stove-top caramelizing of chopped apple, and blending with oil and cider vinegar. It's the type of dressing you will pour on your salads for the few consecutive days after making it and watch the tree leaves start to turn, while your spinach leaves benefit. I followed the recipe to a T but cut it in half (and it still lasted several days) and subbed rosemary in place of thyme. Pictured above with this scone and an improvised "fall junkie" salad of blue cheese, toasted spiced pecans, chopped apples + shaved carrot bathed in a generous dollop of the dressing. Any combination of apple-complimentary produce works with the dressing but lean towards including strong cheese, and add-ins with crunchy, salty-sweet notes.

For the last legs of tomatoes: This oven frittata. I must admit, I'd always been a little wary of baking roasted tomatoes into a frittata, for fear of turning out a tomato sauce frittata, but this one works! I think the key is roasting the tomatoes separately and also keeping them whole. This recipe also came together super quickly and nicely (it just has a hands-off 35 minute trip to the oven). I think it's my new go-to oven omelet. It was also fun to bake as a rectangle and cut into squares. I pretty much followed Winnie's Recipe to a T but decreased it by a smidge and subbed rosemary in place of thyme, parsley for basil, and goat feta for manchego. We ate it all for a Sunday afternoon lunch (one of the eaters was male..)

And for raspberries....I want to share this muffin recipe with you. Also, I'm really digging fresh rosemary right now. Applicable to both the savory and sweet, rosemary adds depth. I love it in just the smallest dose with berries like raspberries (or blackberries) and find it completely complimentary to toasted almonds. So I fold all three into my favorite spelt batter morning muffins, the base batter of which is barely adapted from Super Natural Everyday.  Ever since I got a kitchen scale, I've found muffins less of a hassle and totally doable upon getting up whereas I used to consider them something to make ahead of time. But with a scale, no need for many measuring cups. Just weighing and tare directly into bowls. Done. And your baked goods' quality improves with weighing flour. I'm all about the scale. Anyway, the muffins. Yogurt-honey-spelt-battered and flecked with minced toasted almonds, rosemary-infused butter and a small smattering of raspberries, I think they are one of my favorites. Enjoy your week : ) xo MN

Raspberry Rosemary Muffins Recipe

Adapted from Millet Muffins-SNE

Makes 6

140 grams / 1 c + 1 Tbs spelt flour (I used 130 g spelt, 5 g almond, 5 g all purpose)
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t sea salt

1 egg, beaten (try to use room-ish temp)
120 ml / 1/2 c plain yogurt

60 ml/ 1/4 c honey
60 ml / 1/4 c barely melted unsalted butter
Grated zest of 1/2 lemon + 1 T juice
Half a sprig fresh chopped rosemary (about 1/2 tsp, minced)
Small handful fresh raspberries (just about 8-you don't want them to sog down the batter)

1 T toasted almonds, minced, divided (I whizzed in the food processor)
1 tsp turbinado sugar


Preheat oven to 400 degrees, lightly grease 6 muffin wells. Melt butter and set aside, adding in the rosemary flecks. Whisk together flour, baking powder, soda, salt and half the almonds in one bowl. In another, whisk yogurt, honey, + egg together, then add the lemon juice and zest, and then the slightly cooled rosemary butter. Incorporate both wet and dry together gently, and fold in the raspberries. Pour into baking cups and sprinkle the turbinado sugar and remaining almonds on each one. Bake 15 minutes, let cool in the pan 5 mins, then transfer to wire rack to cool.