08/25/2026
My kitchen has officially transformed into a kind of cluttered homesteading nook filled with smells, cutting boards, dehydrators and jars and pans to be washed after yesterday’s hiking trip where I happily hit the jackpot by combining fishing for largemouth bass with harvesting wild mushrooms.
- Right now, the dehydrator is buzzing away with the wonderful scarlet hues of the lobster mushrooms that were so prevalent alongside a few prized birch boletes—the very same kind I feasted so well on with the hedgehog mushrooms in the Arctic when I was out for ALONE. Meanwhile, Ive got jars of cukes bathing in warm pickle brine, and I am happily humming through my self-made foraged tasks like a contented bumblebee in a field of sunflowers.
Next task? Shredding mountains of yellow squash that are appearing in the garden for future winter breads and muffins.
Im quietly wishing I had more hours in the day. If I could just stretch time a little bit, I could truly slow down and savor the rich, earthy aromas of this harvest instead of having to buzz quite so quickly from one delicious project to the next.!
Here is my favorite way to bake up that abundance:
Spiced Yellow Crookneck Squash Muffins which freeze beautifully, so you can enjoy a taste of your harvest all through the winter.
Ingredients:
* 2 cups yellow crookneck squash, finely shredded (no need to squeeze the moisture out)
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
* 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
* 1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
* 2 large eggs
* 1 tsp baking powder
* 1/2 tsp baking soda
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1 tsp ground cinnamon
* 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
* 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions:
1. Prep the Oven and Pan: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners or spray generously with non-stick cooking spray. (Note: The slightly higher oven temperature helps the muffins rise quickly to create beautiful, high tops!)
2. Whisk Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
3. Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, sour cream, and vanilla extract until completely smooth.
4. Fold in Squash: Gently stir the shredded crookneck squash into the wet mixture until evenly distributed.
5. Combine: Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Stir gently with a spatula just until the flour disappears. Overmixing will make the muffins tough.
6. Fill the Liners: Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups. They will be quite full, which is exactly what you want for big bakery-style muffin tops.
7. Bake: Bake for 18 to 22 minutes. They are done when the tops spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. Cool: Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer the muffins to a wire rack to finish cooling.
