Summer in northern Wisconsin is a much-anticipated season.  For me, one of the best rewards of living through a long winter is enjoying the bounty of readily available fresh fruit, especially those which are actually grown in or near Wisconsin.

One of my fondest memories of living in northern California is enjoying fresh, perfectly ripe strawberries grown in Watsonville, which was about an hour from our former home. 

One of my fondest memories of moving to northern Wisconsin is the first time I picked strawberries, less than an hour from our new home. A month after our arrival here, my neighbor took me with her to pick strawberries in Tomahawk.

Thinking that California strawberries were the only type on the entire planet, I was more than pleasantly surprised to find that these wonderful, locally-grown gems are not only sweet, but also have an indescribable combination of complex flavors. I have since discovered that this is an enduring Northwoods tradition for many during the first few weeks in July. 

Thanks to my husband’s membership in the California Rare Fruit Growers Association, we had a number of grafted fruit trees, including peaches, in our California backyard. Years after moving to Rhinelander, as we move closer to harvest time, I still think of the flavor of those backyard peaches.

However, I have since then discovered another Rhinelander “tradition”:  the annual July return of the Tree Ripe Citrus truck that brings Georgia peaches to our community. This July, I arrived early, and a line of at least 30 people had already formed.  It was truly an “event,” as total strangers were amiably chatting with each other about peach recipes, freezing peaches, canning peaches and everything in between.

It seems that great care is taken to pick, sort and transport them in a way that brings their incredible flavor and sheer beauty to Midwesterners. At this time of year we are also blessed with peaches from Michigan, with their own unique flavor.

I searched high and low through my stacks of cookbooks, as well as those from the public library, but alas… I was unable to find a recipe that used both strawberries and peaches, while allowing their individual flavors to shine. Quite by accident, I discovered the “Peaches in Strawberry Merlot Sauce” recipe while listening to the “Zorba Paster on Your Health” show on Wisconsin Public Radio. I tried the recipe, but found the sauce to be too thin and sweet. So, I have changed it a bit by adding more strawberries and reducing the sugar. Using less sugar will result in a thinner sauce, but it does thicken a bit after it cools.

Like “Tomahawk” strawberries, raspberries are another northern Wisconsin treasure. The smaller wild raspberries have been plentiful this summer, and a growing number of small Wisconsin farms, especially in the Bayfield area, sell raspberries that can be picked or purchased as pre-picked. Their flavor epitomizes the specialness of local, freshly harvested fruit.

While I was searching for a dessert recipe that highlighted raspberries, I discovered the “Raspberry Tiramisu” recipe, which is from the Food Network website (foodtv.com), courtesy of Giada DeLaurentiis. Please be warned: It is rather high in calories, so it should only be an occasional treat! 

Blueberries never captured my attention while living in California. Now, in addition to having several blueberry plants at my home (they would never survive in The Golden State), I usually buy 30 pounds of blueberries when they are in season and freeze at least 20 pounds of them.

What a difference really fresh, blueberries make! I’ve really grown to love blueberries. We are so blessed with them growing right here in the upper Midwest, and I can no longer imagine life without blueberries. They are a true “super food.”

According to the book SuperFoods: Fourteen Foods That Will Change Your Life, “A small but mighty nutritional force, the blueberry combines more powerful disease-fighting antioxidants than any other fruit or vegetable.”

The "Blueberry Pound Cake" recipe is a “tried and true” favorite of mine. It is from the July/August 1998 issue of Cooking Light magazine. It is not nearly as caloric as a true pound cake, and the flavor of blueberries shines in this recipe. It is not quick, nor necessarily easy to make, but it is well worth the extra effort! 

For a nice dressing to tie the flavors of fresh fruit together, I have included a recipe that I use quite frequently at this time of year. It is a light, flavorful and creamy dressing that goes nicely with any combination of fresh fruits. It’s my own “invention”!

I have found that good quality yogurt and sour cream make a big difference in this recipe. The organic brands seem to have the best taste and texture. Dannon yogurt and Daisy sour cream seem to also work well also.

With melons coming into season, I was looking for a recipe that uses ingredients that aren’t normally found in combination with melons. The final recipe, “Melon Salsa,” uses cantaloupes. It is from a book I recently enjoyed reading: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle:  A Year of Food Life, by Barbara Kingsolver (2007).

If you are interested in how our food is produced, how that process impacts the environment, how one family worked to change their dependence on “the industrial food pipeline,” AND would like some great recipes for eating local, in-season food, then I highly recommend this book! For lots of great information on these topics, as well as recipes from the book, click here.

Enjoy the rest of our beautiful Northwoods summer!

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Peaches With Strawberry Merlot Sauce
    Courtesy of Wisconsin Public Radio
    Serves 8

2 cups dry, inexpensive Merlot
4 cups fresh or frozen strawberries, halved
½ - 1 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
8 peaches, fresh or canned in their own juice
1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt or good quality vanilla ice cream
1 lime (optional)

In a large saucepan, combine merlot, strawberries, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Bring to boil over high heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes to sauce consistency. Cool.

While sauce is cooking, bring water to a boil in a pot. Turn off heat and submerge fresh peaches in the hot water for about 15 seconds. Remove the peaches from the water and rinse briefly in cold water until cool enough to handle. Carefully remove peels. Slice peaches in half and arrange on individual plates, allowing 2 halves per serving.

Spoon the sauce over the peaches. Garnish with a dollop of yogurt or ice cream. For extra tartness, zest the lime, and over each serving sprinkle the lime zest and add a squeeze of lime.

Variation:  If you really want to get fancy, you can first poach the skinned peaches (do not slice in half) in about 2 cups of sauterne or, my favorite, River Gold wine from Wollersheim winery. Or, you can use less wine and add water. To the liquid, add a vanilla bean that has been split lengthwise and scraped, several green cardamom pods and a few slices of fresh (or candied) ginger. Bring this mixture to a boil. Turn down the heat and cook on medium for about 5 minutes. Add the peaches and simmer for another 5-10 minutes, just until barely tender. Don’t let them boil!

Turn off the heat and let them steep in this mixture for as long as you like. Remove the peaches with a slotted spoon and cut in half. Pour the strawberry sauce over the peaches and enjoy! You can then bring the poaching liquid to a boil and reduce to a desired amount.  Strain the solids and keep this fragrant “potion” in the refrigerator for a nice sauce with fresh fruit.

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Raspberry Tiramisu (For a Crowd!)
    Courtesy of Giada DeLaurentiis, Food Network
    Serves 8 to 12

1 cup seedless raspberry jam
6 Tbs. orange liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)
1 lb. mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1 cup whipping cream
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
28 soft ladyfingers or 2 (12-ounce) pound cakes, cut into 3x1x1½ -inch pieces
3 (½ dry pint) baskets fresh raspberries (about 3¾ cups total)
confectioners' sugar, for serving

Stir the jam and 4 tablespoons of the orange liqueur in a small bowl to blend. Combine the mascarpone and remaining 2 tablespoons of orange liqueur in a large bowl to blend. With an electric mixer, beat the cream, sugar and vanilla in a separate bowl until soft peaks form. Using a large rubber spatula, stir ¼ of the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture to lighten. Fold the remaining whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture.

Line the bottom of a13x 9x2-inch glass baking dish or other decorative serving dish with half of the ladyfingers. Spread half of the jam mixture over the ladyfingers. Spread half of the mascarpone mixture over the jam mixture, then cover with half of the fresh raspberries. Repeat layering with the remaining ladyfingers, jam mixture, mascarpone mixture and raspberries. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight. Dust with the confectioners' sugar and serve.

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Blueberry Pound Cake
    Courtesy of Cooking Light magazine
    Serves 12 to 16

2 cups granulated sugar
½ cup light butter
½ (8-oz.) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
3 large eggs
1 large egg white
3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 (8-oz.) carton lemon low-fat yogurt  (I use plain yogurt with the zest of 1 lemon)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
cooking spray
½ cup powdered sugar
4 tsp. lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs and egg white, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 2 tablespoons flour and blueberries in a small bowl and toss well. Combine remaining flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with yogurt, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fold in blueberry mixture and vanilla; pour cake batter into a 10-inch tube pan (or bundt pan,) coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour 10 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool cake in pan 10 minutes; remove from pan and finish cooling on wire rack. Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl; drizzle over warm cake. When ready to serve, cut with a serrated knife.

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Light and Creamy Dressing for Fruit
    Makes about 2 cups

1 cup plain low-fat or fat-free yogurt
1 cup low-fat sour cream
zest of 1 lime
2 Tbs. honey, or to taste
½ - 1 tsp. vanilla or almond extract, or to taste
optional:  a dash of Garam Masala—Punjabi-style

Combine all ingredients and mix well.  Allow about 30 minutes for the flavors to mingle.

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Melon Salsa
    From Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
    Serves 6 to 8

1 medium cantaloupe
1 red bell pepper
1 small jalapeno pepper
½ medium red onion
¼ cup fresh mint leaves
1-2 Tbs. honey
2 tsp. white vinegar

Dice melons and peppers into ¼-inch cubes. Finely mince onion and mint. Toss with honey and vinegar, allow to sit at least one hour before serving over grilled chicken breast or fish filet. It’s even better the next day.