Recipe of the week: Cranberry Rosemary Muffins

Several months ago I had breakfast at a restaurant called The Curious Palate in Mar Vista (Venice).  If you're even in that area I highly recommend you check them out, they're all about farm to table, and you know how much I love that!  Anyway, we had breakfast, everything was delicious.  They had these muffins and I've been looking for a recipe but I haven't been able to find one, so after experimenting a little bit, this is what I came up with.  Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!

Cranberry Rosemary Muffins

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 unbleached flour
1 egg
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 Tbsp orange rind
3/4 tsp salt
2-3 tsp fresh rosemary
3/4 fresh squeezed orange juice
1 cup chopped cranberries

Topping:
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp fresh rosemary
1 Tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a muffin pan with muffin liners.

In a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients and the orange rind.  In a separate large bowl cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, beat in the egg and then the orange juice.  Add the dry ingredients one cup at a time until just incorporated.  Fold in the chopped cranberries.  Scoop into muffin cups.  In a small bowl mix the brown sugar, flour and rosemary, cut in the butter until mixture is crumbly.  Sprinkle tops with brown sugar mixture.

Bake at for 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Recipe of the week: Farmer's Market Salad

Last week I had lunch at one of my new favorite restaurants, Mendocino Farms in Marina Del Rey.  I love their food but even more so their philosophy.  They are all about locally grown, farmers markets and eating seasonally (which I'm about too!)  I sampled this salad from the deli case and knew I had to try to recreate it at home.  I did and the results were amazing!  They used pecans in their salad, I had walnuts so I used those.  I didn't have any raspberry vinegar so I used red wine vinegar and some fresh raspberries.  If you end up trying it let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!

Farmer's Market Salad
1 large plum sliced
1 pluot sliced
1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts (or pecans)
3 oz smoked Gouda sliced into small pieces
4 to 6 cups organic mixed baby greens

Place greens, plums, pluots, nuts and cheese in a large bowl, toss with raspberry mint vinaigrette and enjoy immediately.

Raspberry Mint Vinaigrette

Juice of one lemon
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp raspberries (about 6 large)
2 Tbsp fresh mint leaves
2 green onions (only the white part about 2 inches each)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp agave nectar (or sugar)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Put the first five ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth.  Add salt, pepper and agave (or sugar), taste and adjust seasoning, pulse quickly.  Add olive oil in a steady stream to mixture, a few seconds in the food processor will mix it up nicely.  Toss over salad, enjoy!