Melon Muffin with Tomato-Rosemary Oat Topping

I’m so proud of myself!

Back in my introduction to recipes, I warned about my limitations in the baking department.

But, lo and behold, I did it—I actually did it!

I created a muffin without any template to guide my measurements.

Guess I shouldn’t be surprised; I’ve downsized so many muffin recipes that a particular pattern must have ingrained itself in my mind.

Want to know the kicker?

It came out like a muffin on the very first try! I didn’t even have my usual whole-wheat flour around—I had to use a mixture of oat and rye.

“Beginner’s luck”? No, it wasn’t!

Was it?

Well, now that you’ve burst my bubble, let’s move on to . . .

Melon Muffin with Tomato-Rosemary Oat Topping
Recipe by C. Marie

 

Aahh, the remnants of summer.

Days above 70 degrees . . . slices of cantaloupe chilling in my fridge.

What else speaks of summer?

Why, tomatoes, of course!

And what better accompaniment than that warm-weather-soaking herb called rosemary, its satiny fronds fraught with whiffs pungent and evocative of Mediterranean seas?

Cantaloupe, tomato, and rosemary: the main attractions in a muffin that’s a blend of sweet and savory . . . perfect with a cup of coffee in the morning, or that bowl of Italian wedding soup for dinner.

An odd combination, for sure.

But that’s why you’re here, isn’t it?

Enjoy!

 

What I gathered together:

The dry ingredients:
¼ cup flour (I used 2 tablespoons oat flour—made by whirring oats in a coffee grinder—and 2 tablespoons rye flour I had wedged in the freezer)
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
dash of baking soda
dash of salt

The wet ingredients:
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons sweetener (I used 1 teaspoon stevia blend and 1 teaspoon honey)
¼ of an egg (just whisk an egg and measure out 1 tablespoon)
½ tablespoon oil (olive oil was my choice)

Ingredients to set off to the side:
2 tablespoons diced cantaloupe
¼ tablespoon orange zest

The oat topping:
1 tablespoon crushed tomatoes (for me, this was one way to use up a leftover can . . . you, however, might have a fresh, squishy one plopped on the counter—mash up a few slices of that)
2 tablespoons old-fashioned oats
1 ½ teaspoons sweetener (mine was a 1 teaspoon of a stevia blend, and ½ teaspoon honey)
½ tablespoon oat flour
1/8 teaspoon of fresh rosemary, minced (beware rosemary’s pungency—though not overpowering, I will probably use a smidge less next time)

Before throwing it together:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two muffin cups. (I took out a 6-cup tin, and didn’t bother with water for the rest)

Now, let’s get started:

Dump dry ingredients in a bowl; stir.

Mix wet ingredients in another bowl. Add to dry ingredients. Combine, but don’t overdo it—overmixing is a big muffin-making no-no.

Toss in the cantaloupe and zest; gently incorporate—again, taking care not to mix till kingdom come.

In a bowl, mix the crumb topping into a moist, orange-reddish glop of oats. (Look at that pretty, pumpkin color—guess autumn slipped into our summery endeavor after all!)

Spoon the batter into one cup, about ¾ full; fill the second cup with the scrap of batter left—enough for a mini muffin. (Consider it your “tester muffin,” a reward justly earned for your toils in the kitchen.)

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the topping has hardened, and a toothpick (knife for me) poked in the middle comes out without any goop clinging to it.

A little tang from the tomato . . . a juicy burst of sweetness from the pieces of melon . . . that robust rosemary rounded off by a pop of citrus from the orange zest . . . what more need be said?

Yeah, my itty, bitty muffin didn’t last very long.

Drizzled in honey, or smeared with garlicky butter—with its colorful topping and distinct flavor—this is a muffin that will not be easily forgotten.

Questions? Comments? Send ‘em my way!