La Cocina que Canta, Rancho La Puerta, Walnut and Fig Muffins

Maralyn and I will be meeting again at Rancho La Puerta in July to present our writing workshop and take a few cooking lessons. I can hardly wait. The Ranch has so much to offer so many men and women of all ages from all over the world. Rancho La Puerta and the Golden Door have brought wellness into the lives of over 500,000 Americans in the past 72 years. The Hill team believes in making our health one of our top travel priorities.

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During the week of our presentations we will have a choice of many mindful activities such as Herbs for the Body and Soul, Kung Fu for Fitness, Exploring the Night Sky, Love Cycles and so much more. My personal favorites are the early morning hikes, yoga, art classes, African dance, swimming, massages and cooking lessons at La Cocina que Canta. This is the  hands on “kitchen that sings” built at the edge of their organic farm. It is here that we meet many talented chefs.

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This recipe is from the La Cocina staff led by Executive Chef, Denise Rosa.

3 cups flour mix (see recipe below)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baling powder

1 cup brown sugar (packed)

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

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Wet

2 eggs

11/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup grape seed oil

1/2 cup fresh or dried figs, chopped

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Method

Preheat oven to 350F.

In large bowl, mix all dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl, lightly beat eggs and other “wet” ingredients together. Pour wet into dry and mix with a spoon by hand until some dry flour is still evident (do not over-beat).

Use ice cream scoop to dollop muffin mixture into olive-oil-misted muffin pan (preferably one that makes small cork shaped muffins).

Bake approximately 20 minutes or until wooden pick comes out clean.

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Ranch La Puerta uses all Bob Mill’s ingredients which are commonly available in health food grocery stores. For precision, this mixture is by weight: Combine equal parts of corn, quin and sweet brown rice flours until weight is 700 grams. Combine equal parts potato starch and tapioca flour until weight is 300 grams. Mix all together. store excess in air tight container to use soon for any baked-goods recipe. Experiment with amounts to accentuate certain flavors you might like best.

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Look for more recipes from the teaching kitchen and garden this summer. Or find them by contacting www.rancholapuerta.com. Phone 877-440-7772.

Rancho La Puerta is a short, easy, and beautiful drive from San Diego in the charming village of Tecate, Mexico, Baja California, P.O. Box 69, Tecate, California 91980.