If I haven’t a clue what’s for breakfast but know my husband and best sous Dave would like something fresh, warm, and sweet when he comes home from the morning dog walk, I will usually throw together a mess of muffins. Occasionally there are scones or biscuits or a coffee cake instead, depending on my mood and what else might be on the menu. I can gather the ingredients for muffins, however, without much thought; get them into the oven; and have them piping hot on the rack–or nearly so– when he comes through the front door exactly 30 minutes after he leaves. But before I stir them up and bake them, I’ve got to check what’s available in the fruit, nut, or even occasionally chocolate department. When I’m muffin dreaming, as long as I have a cup of fruit or a bit more, there will soon be muffins no matter what. And if there isn’t enough fruit, I’ll probably make them anyway, perhaps adding nuts, coconut, or dried fruit. And if there are none of those things at all, there’s simply nothing wrong with the plain muffin I’d bake –or even a corn one. Especially served with butter and jam. A baker will bake, you see. Breakfast will be had.

I do nearly always have fresh blueberries and, if not, there’s a bag of frozen ones in the freezer waiting my measuring cup. (When they’re the best and the cheapest and come from the Pacific Northwest, I freeze a bunch.) The other day, I had Palisades peaches (known to the rest of the country as “Colorado peaches”) over-ripening in my south window and not too awfully many blueberries. There was, I thought, just enough fruit for 12 muffins if I combined the two. And what if I stirred in a little fresh ginger for spicy interest? Turned out to be a perfect match made right here on the mesa in Colorado Springs.