Cherry, apple recipe books rooted in youthful memories

Rarely does a recipe book come along (or in this case a budding series of books) like the one that Barb Wulf has compiled. Inspired by her growing up in Door County, “Recipes from the Market” are dedicated to the Door Peninsula’s two most recognized crops – cherries and apples.

“I grew up picking cherries at my favorite orchards,” Wulf begins in her forward to the cherry edition. “At the end of the day, I’d eat them straight from the pail, sitting on our back patio overlooking the bay, lemonade in hand.”

Wulf said the inspiration for the books came from family and friends. “I’ve gathered up family, local and personal recipes with ideas on what to buy at the local farm markets,” she writes.

The apple issue is rooted in the same memories.

“I loved walking through the apple orchards in the late spring when the blossoms were in the full bloom,” is how she introduces her book. “With the arrival of fall, I’d come home from school and find mother’s homemade apple sauce simmering on the stove, the sweetness of apples and a hint of cinnamon filling the air.”

Wulf moved back to her native Door County in 2012 from Minneapolis, where she forged a career in graphic design.

“When I’m not driving up and down the peninsula trying to remember what Door County looked like in the ’60s and ’70s, I’m shopping the farm markets in hopes of perfecting the next cherry or apple recipe.”

The spiral-ring editions demonstrate some of her graphic skills, creating a bit of scrapbook as she weaves in colorful vintage cherry and apple promotional artwork throughout the books, courtesy of the Door County Historical Museum.

To order books contact Barb at bw@crywulf.com