Summer in a Bowl

Garden Fresh Tortellini Salad 

One of the joys of summer is having garden produce readily available in your yard or found at a local Farmer's Market. This pasta salad takes advantage of garden-fresh, juicy tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, and fresh herbs. It adds loads of flavor with a light herb dressing and texture with creamy avocado, corn, al dente cheese tortellini, and salty Parmesan cheese. It's a healthy vegetarian salad you can make early in the day and refrigerate in an airtight container. I used both spinach cheese tortellini and spiral pasta for contrast. Add crumbled Parmesan Cheese Crisps right before serving. Adapted from averiecooks.com; serves 4-6.

This salad is customizable and perfect for potlucks and summer gatherings.  

Salad Ingredients:

• One 10-ounce package spinach cheese tortellini
• 1 cup dry spiral pasta
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced into bite-sized pieces
• 1 cup corn (fresh if possible or frozen that's been thawed may be used)
• 1 cup tomatoes, diced (cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half, may be substituted)
• 1 cup cucumber, peeled and diced or zucchini
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, laid loosely in measuring cup and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, or more if desired (feta, blue cheese, or your favorite shredded or crumbled cheese may be substituted)

Dressing Ingredients: 

• 1/4 cup olive oil or lemon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper to taste
• Pinch cayenne pepper, optional and to taste

Directions:

• Cook tortellini and spiral pasta according to package directions, al dente. Drain, and set aside. While tortellini and pasta cook, prep and chop the remaining ingredients.
• To a large bowl, add the avocado, corn, tomatoes, cucumber, basil, and Parmesan cheese; set aside.
• In a blender, add olive oil, lemon juice (zest the lemon before juicing), honey, Italian seasoning, parsley flakes, lemon zest, salt, and pepper, and blend to combine. Taste and check for seasoning balance, making any necessary adjustments.
• Add the tortellini and spinach cheese tortellini; toss gently with dressing to combine. Taste and check for seasoning balance, making any necessary adjustments. Chill the salad for 45 minutes. Add more dressing if needed. 
• Top with crumbled cheese crisps to serve.

Northwoods Art and Book Festival

31st Annual Northwoods Art and Book Festival 2026

It was a picture-perfect day for the festival with record-breaking crowd attendance in Hackensack, MN 

With so many books and so many choices, book lovers found a little bit of heaven at the 2026 Northwoods Art and Book Festival. 
Cook's Notes: Take the talents of 36 Minnesota authors, mix them with assorted titles and genres, spice it up with visitors of all ages, combine with animated literary conversations and book signings, add in a tantalizing program on the importance of sharing and documenting family stories, and you have a recipe for success. 

What a stellar line-up of authors who trekked to Hackensack to share their literary talents. Their creativity knows no bounds with their table settings and banners. Their smiles radiate happiness as they shared books with festival visitors. 

MEET THE 2026 FESTIVAL AUTHORS  

Rich Sherry

Jan Payne

Brenda Lyne

Julie Jo Larson

Darrell Pedersen

Scott Welvaert

Julie Guth

Jan Belanger

Brenda Massman

Bill Durbin

Ron Elcombe

Jeff Krogstad

Jonathan Sweet

Marge Mathison Hance

Margaret Blenkush and twin sister

CA Lewis

Niomi Phillips (left) Sharon Harris (right)

Mike Lein

Joe Egan

Mary Perrine

Nathan Jorgenson 

Bruce Carlson 

Jodie Leigh Murray 

Candace & Keith Simar 

Laura Hern 

William Burleson 

Christine Husom 

Jason Willis 

Rhonda Buerkle 

Chris Norbury 

Justin Delzer 

David Bruns-Olson 

Mary Seifert 

William Andersen

SAVE THE DATE: Next year's festival is August 14, 2027

Peach Salsa

A Fresh Peach

There is nothing in the world

That is as juicy or as sweet

As a freshly picked peach

Oh, what a luscious treat

Picked right from the tree

Soft but still quite firm

Pristine fresh it is

Free from scars or worms

Fuzzy on the surface

But very succulent inside

Oh, how delicious the taste

Such a moist, flavorful ride

To find the perfect fruit

Is not beyond your reach

One of Mother Nature’s best

The delicious fresh peach!

by Marilyn Lott

 PEACH SALSA

Cook's notes: What a delicious sauce that can be served with grilled chicken or pork chops. I had some extra fruit, so I added in blueberries, strawberries, and chopped fresh basil. The salsa is enough for 4 pork chops or 2-3 large pieces of chicken. Adapted from Southern Living July 2012

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup diced sweet onions 
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup peach preserves
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 of a yellow pepper, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
• 2-3 large peaches, cut in chunks
• 2 tablespoons good quality dark or white balsamic vinegar
• 1-2 tablespoons chopped basil
• Salt to taste
• Optional: add-ins: blueberries and strawberries and 1 tablespoon peach schnapps

Directions:

• In a saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon butter and sauté onions, peppers, and minced garlic until onions and garlic are limp.
• Whisk in ketchup, peach preserves, basil, brown sugar, and ginger.
• Cook on low heat uncovered until thickened, about 15 minutes.
• Add in fruit and balsamic vinegar; cook 1-2 minutes more, and add salt to taste.
• Remove from heat and add in peach schnapps if using.
• Divide sauce in half and use half of the sauce to baste meat while grilling. Serve the remaining sauce with the meal. 
• Note: If using sauce on grilling, place meat on foil to avoid the sauce overflowing onto the grates.

One Pan Baked Gnocchi and Meatballs in Marinara Sauce

Never mind the fact that it was 90-some degrees today when I prepared this meal in an air-conditioned kitchen😋, but it's always comforting to have a meal made in advance, and the dinner really does not get much easier than this casserole. 

Just stir everything together in a baking dish, cover it, and let the oven handle the rest. The gnocchi cooks right in the marinara sauce, the meatballs heat through, the tomatoes get all jammy and bursty, and the whole thing finishes under a blanket of melty mozzarella and Parmesan. It’s cozy, cheesy, hearty, comfort food at its best!

This delicious and flavorful meal pairs well with a simple green salad or an extra bowl of roasted veggies. Recipe adapted from givemesomeoven.com and serves 6.

Recipe Tips

• This recipe is wonderfully low-maintenance, but here are a few tips to make it turn out perfectly: Use shelf-stable gnocchi. That’s what I tested here, and it holds up really well in the oven. Refrigerated gnocchi may cook faster and could turn softer.
• Don’t skip the water. It may not look like much, but that extra ¼ cup gives the gnocchi enough moisture to cook properly in the sauce.
• Cover the dish tightly. This is probably the most important step. You want to trap the steam during the first 30 minutes so the gnocchi gets tender instead of drying out.
• Use fully cooked meatballs. Frozen, fully cooked mini meatballs make this especially easy. If yours are larger, they may need a little extra time to heat through.
• Chop the spinach first. Roughly chopping it helps it disappear more evenly into the bake instead of clumping together in big leaves.
• Use whole milk mozzarella if you can. It melts more smoothly and gives you that gooey, bubbly top that makes this dish so good.
• Let it rest before serving. Five to 10 minutes helps everything settle and keeps the sauce from running all over the plate.

Ingredients:

• 1 (24-ounce) jar good-quality marinara sauce e.g. Roa
• 1 14-oz. can crushed tomatoes with basil and oregano
• 8 ounces shelf-stable potato gnocchi
• 1/4 cup water
• 10 ounces frozen fully-cooked Italian-style mini meatballs
• 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
• 2 cups baby spinach, stems removed and roughly chopped
• 2 cups shredded whole milk mozzarella, divided
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, divided
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon parsley flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• Fine sea salt and black pepper
• Fresh basil, for serving

Directions: 

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a 9×13-inch baking dish, stir together the marinara, crushed tomatoes, water, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes, sugar, a few twists of black pepper, and a pinch of salt.
• Add the gnocchi, meatballs, spinach, cherry tomatoes, 1 cup of the mozzarella, and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Gently stir until evenly coated in the sauce. Spread into an even layer, then sprinkle the remaining mozzarella over the top. 
• Cover tightly with foil or casserole cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, until the gnocchi is tender, the tomatoes have burst, and the cheese is golden and bubbly. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes at the end if you’d like extra browning.
• Let the dish rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Top with extra Parmesan, fresh basil, and a twist of black pepper. Serve warm and enjoy!
  
  
  
  
  This casserole is company-worthy and would be perfect for preseason football games and family gatherings; it's also kid-friendly.   

Puff Pastry Peach Blueberry Hand Pies

 EVER READY KITCHEN IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS

For the next two weeks, I am cooking in my daughter's kitchen, which is a bit of an adjustment finding all the necessary cooking utensils and figuring out the stove 😋 

You can imagine my excitement seeing these boxes of peaches at a local Twin City store.  

Cook's Notes: Peach Blueberry Hand Pies are a summer treat that encapsulates the essence of juicy peaches and warm spices, all nestled in a flaky, bakery-worthy puff pastry shell. With their irresistible aroma and delicious flavor, these hand pies are perfect for picnics, family gatherings, or a sweet indulgence at home. Easy to prepare, this recipe allows bakers of all levels to create nostalgic desserts that will surely impress! The recipe was adapted from Six Sisters Stuff. It is an impressive bakery-looking treat. 

Ingredients

• 3-4 medium ripe peaches
• 1/3 cup rinsed and dried blueberries
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ¼ cup lightly packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 puff pastry sheets, thawed
• 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon cold water
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Directions: 

• Peel, remove pits, and cut peaches into ½ inch pieces. If you bring water to a boil, toss in the peaches for 30 seconds; the skins come off easily. 
• In a saucepan over medium heat, combine peaches, sugars, butter, and cinnamon until butter is melted. Cook for 6 minutes on medium-low heat until peaches reach desired softness.  
• In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons water and cornstarch, then add to saucepan. Stir for an additional 1-2 minutes, until peach mixture starts to thicken. Remove from heat; let mixture set in pan for 5 minutes. Pour mixture into a colander to drain extra juices. Make sure filling is cooled before adding to puff pastry. 
• Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
• Roll out both puff pastry sheets, and cut each sheet into six 3×6 inch rectangles.

• Evenly split the peach mixture down the middle of six of the rectangles.

• With the other six sheets, make a V-shaped cut in each puff pastry 3 x 6 rectangle and top over the other sheet with peach mixture. Press the seams together using the tines of a fork.

• In a small bowl, mix together egg white and water. Brush over the top of each hand pie.
• In a separate small bowl, mix together sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle over the top of each hand pie. Chill in the refrigerator on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. 
• Bake at 400 degrees for 18 minutes.
  

Cook's Notes: A few more words:

I added a few blueberries into the peach mixture, but I did note that blueberries somewhat overpowered the peach mixture when baked.  But still quite tasty.   

Store any leftover Easy Peach Hand Pies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To maintain their flaky texture, reheat them in the air fryer or oven at 375 degrees for 5-7 minutes until warm and crispy.

For long-term storage, you can freeze unbaked hand pies for up to 2 months. To do this, place the assembled pies on a baking sheet and freeze them in a single layer until firm. Then, transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. When ready to bake, simply place them in the oven straight from the freezer, adding an additional 5-10 minutes to the baking time.