Blue Corn Muffins - Blue Monday

Adventurers climb mountains because they are there, folks who love good food experiment with ingredients for the same reason. My first encounter with blue cornmeal was a dirty looking chip with no cache. It looked terrible but the flavor wasn't bad. While it was grainier than its yellow or white cousins, it was sweet and hearty and had the lingering taste of earth about it. The Native Americans of the Southwest call blue corn Hopi corn and it has spiritual importance to them. It represents the rising sun and the beginning of life, wisdom and understanding. Blue cornmeal comes from the dried blue kernels of corn grown on plateaus and mesas in New Mexico and Arizona. It's not always a true blue and when it's on the cob it has a hue more purple than blue. When ground it appears to be a very pale, almost white, lavender that on close inspection is flecked with grains of blue that are photochromic.
The picture to the left has not been doctored in any way. It was taken at noon on a very sunny day and this is what the camera saw. I've been working on Southwestern-style meals for a family gathering planned for later this summer, so it was a natural progression to begin experimenting with blue corn. When I found an old Bobby Flay recipe for blue corn muffins I was hooked and this is what my first foray into the world of blue corn produced. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed these. I will make them any time I can - even for breakfast. They are packed with flavor and have a wonderful moist crumb that's hard to resist. I really hope you'll try these. They are down-home wonderful.



Blue Corn Muffins

Ingredients:

2 ounces (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

3 tablespoons onion, finely diced

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1/2 cup milk

2 large eggs

1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely diced

1 jalapeno peppers, finely diced

1/4 cup fresh or frozen corn, thawed

1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro leaves

3/4 cup blue cornmeal (can substitute yellow)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Directions:

1) Adjust a rack to middle-third of oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Grease a 6 slot muffin pan with non-stick vegetable spray. Set aside.

2) Melt butter in a small saucepan; add onions and garlic and cook until soft. Set aside to cool.

3) In a large mixing bowl, combine milk, eggs, bell pepper, jalapeno, corn and cilantro. Whisk in butter mixture. Set aside.

4)In a separate bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, soda, salt and sugar. Whisk to combine. Mix into the liquid mixture.

5) Divide batter evenly among the 6 muffins slots and bake for 16 minutes or until set, turning pan once for even baking. Yield: 6 muffins

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