Summer Subtlety

It was a meal fit for a queen:  Summer Crab Salad and Chocolate Cherry Muffin served by the lake on a gorgeous August day.  

To a nice variety of sauteed and raw vegetables, I added a small amount of cooked orecchietta pasta.  While the wild crab is pricey, I portioned it into 8 meals-froze 3/4 of the 1 pound can in 3 (2 serving) size meal containers.  The crab flaked nicely and easily mixed with the vegetables and herbs.  The sauteed vegetables are an assortment of farmers market finds (squash, broccoli, pepper, fennel, green onion and garlic.  I garnished with my own home grown cucumbers, tomatoes and fresh snipped herbs.  I did not add dressing to my salad.

The muffin recipe is based on one from allrecipes.com.  

Chocolate Cherry Muffins

(Makes 8)

Beat egg and sugar in bowl of electric mixer.
3 tablespoon sugar
1 egg

Mix dry ingredients, flours, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.  Mix in chocolate and cherries.
1 cup 3 tablespoon whole wheat flour
1 cup 3 tablespoon all purpose flour
3 tablespoon unseeted cocoa (not the Dutch processed kind)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup 60% cacao chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup chopped fresh cherries

In another container, mix yogurt, milk, oil and extract.
1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1/4 cup skim milk
3 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon almond extract 

Alternately add dry ingredients and liquid ingredients to mixer, stirring just until combined.

Grease muffin tin with olive oil spray.  Portion 1/4 cup  & 1 tablespoon batter into each of 8 muffin cups. Bake at 400F. for 25 minutes.  Cool on wire rack.

Our picnic today was at Jennings Randolph Lake near Elk Garden, West Virginia.