Welcome to Tasty Tuesday at Things to Do In New Jersey!

It’s that time of the summer when, if you have a garden, you’re wondering, “What on earth am I going to do with all of this zucchini?”. Or, in my case, you got a wee bit over-zealous when faced with a great deal on zucchini at your favorite New Jersey farmers’ market. Well, I’ve got an answer for you… Zesty Zucchini Cheddar Corn Muffins!!

These delicious muffins are the perfect accompaniment to a bacon and eggs breakfast, a brunch, or even as a side for a barbecue or chili supper. You can also use yellow summer squash in this recipe (it blends well if your kids have an aversion to green stuff in their muffins). I used both. Here’s the recipe…

Zesty Zucchini Cheddar Corn Muffins

1-1/3 cup cornmeal
2/3 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1-1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. sugar
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups of shredded zucchini (about 1 large zucchini)
1 jalapeño pepper, seeds and ribs removed – finely chopped
(a red jalapeño adds some nice color to the muffins)
1/3 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese, plus 1/4 cup for topping

Preheat your oven and grease a muffin pan or line with paper liners.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and oil. Add to the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Add the shredded zucchini and jalapeño and mix well. Add 1/3 cup of shredded cheese and mix until evenly combined.

Divide the batter between the muffin cups and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese.

Bake for 18-20 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

Makes 12 muffins.