Nora Rae Pearl | Author

Very Berry Spring Recipes

May 2, 2026

Spring has sprung, and soon, there will be strawberries. Local strawberries that begin to come out in late spring are a completely different fruit than what we are used to eating year round. They are sweeter, smaller, and bursting with flavor in comparison. To highlight these attributes, we… Read More >>

The Chicken or the Egg? Egg-cellent Recipes

April 11, 2026

Which came first: the chicken or the egg? This spring our vote goes to the egg and all the new things hatching and growing. To celebrate the season, we are cooking up old and new favorites that highlight local eggs.

For those looking for something sweet, test out our Dutch Baby reci… Read More >>

Recipes for Bringing Home the Beer

March 7, 2026

In northern Michigan, beer is often listed among the likes of cherry trees, ski runs, and beaches. It’s everywhere—in nearly every Up North town, we can discover a new brewery. The best part is that we’re able to take these brews home with us from the taphouse into the kit… Read More >>

Hygge Recipes in the Kitchen

Feb. 14, 2026

When the cold lingers, so can the blues. To bring some hygge (pronounced “hoo-gah”) vibes—think warm, cozy, and comforting—into your home, try these recipes.

For a night in, bake some Not Your Mamma’s Meatloaf with Smashed Potatoes, and for dessert serv… Read More >>

Recipes: Little Chef Favorites

Jan. 24, 2026

Sometimes we all need to take a break from the seriousness of cooking and remember why we enjoy it in the first place. For these recipes, we’re welcoming in little chefs to inspire us for some creative eats.

We’ve come up with a “kidcuterie” board that takes … Read More >>

Meatless Mondays Recipes with the Three Sisters

Jan. 3, 2026

In the depth of winter, we’re all looking for warmth, and these new recipes are sure to make you feel full and cozy. The dishes below highlight a trio known as the Three Sisters long used by indigenous people of Central and North America: beans, squash, and corn. When it comes to thes… Read More >>

Holiday Tradition Bakers

Dec. 13, 2025

Traditions are what we keep coming back to in the colder months, and this year we are going to give you two twists on holiday pie favorites that will become new traditions for years to come.

While we all have our favorite apple and pumpkin pies, we’re shifting our attention to… Read More >>

Falling Into Comfort Food

Nov. 8, 2025

The maple leaves are dropping and the warm days are behind us, but that means it’s cozy hibernation season. Nothing says comfort food like a warm dish of carbs and veggies or a spiced pumpkin roll cake. For these recipes, we got our inspiration from Harrand Hill Farm in Buckley with t… Read More >>

A Simple Fall Harvest: Two Cozy Recipes

Oct. 18, 2025

Sometimes the best things in life don’t require any seeking—they are already in front of you, ready to be found. This is the case for squash and potatoes, which are plentiful at every roadside stand this season. For pumpkins, butternuts, acorns, and other squash, drive out to Ma… Read More >>

Apple of My Eye Recipes

Sept. 20, 2025

Paula Red, Zestar, Ginger Gold, Jonathan, Northern Spy… These are just a few names you need to keep a lookout for this apple season in additions to classics like Honeycrisps. Seek out these beautiful northern Michigan varieties at locations with ready-to-grab bags like Royal Farms in… Read More >>

Late Summer Eats: Recipes with Corn, Peaches, and Tomatoes

Aug. 30, 2025

Our last month of uninterrupted summer has come to an end. Back to school is upon us, but fear not; the bounty of summer is now coming to harvest. Your favorite farm market or local co-op will have everything you need to make these summertime recipes.

Check out Altonen Orchards on M… Read More >>

Summer Lovin' with Blueberries & Zucchini

Aug. 2, 2025

Is there ever a time when there’s too much of a good thing? When it comes to peak summer ingredients, our answer is no. 

Let’s turn to the two simple ingredients we all know and love, blueberries and zucchini. For a perfect summer day adventure, go pick blueberries … Read More >>

Recipes: Farm to Table Du Jour

July 19, 2025

The time has finally come where whatever flavor you’re looking for can be found at the local farmers market. From cherries to corn, peppers to eggplant, basil to watermelon, it’s everything, everywhere, all at once.

This week, we are putting the spotlight on heirloom tom… Read More >>

Two Summer Recipes: Our Cherry Amour

July 5, 2025

Nothing says love quite like northern Michigan’s summer cherries. They’ll soon be available on every corner, but only in the month of July, so we savor this sweet season.

To go U-pick, take a drive north of Traverse City into Williamsburg, where Rennie Orchards has optio… Read More >>

Roasting and Toasting with Beets, Rhubarb, & Rose

June 7, 2025

Just like the arrival of the cherry blossoms, we know summer is here once color hits our kitchens again. This time, instead of going green, we are going red (hold the cherries). Beets, rhubarb, and rose are the not-so-subtle signs of summer we all have been waiting for.

Rhubarb make… Read More >>

Strawberries, Scallions, and Springtime

May 3, 2025

As we get ready for the first crops of the season, there’s no time like the present to prep our kitchens with spring recipes. These showstoppers will remind you that the long winter wait was not in vain. As poet Anne Bradstreet once said, “If we had no winter, the spring would n… Read More >>

Spring Greens: Recipes with Asparagus & Arugula

April 5, 2025

As Michigan’s winter wraps up and we enter mud season, there is hope to be had around the corner for actual spring.

So let’s go in on all things green! Asparagus will soon be making its debut at a farmers market near you; expect to see stalks at the end of April or begin… Read More >>

Recipes: Baking with Beer

March 8, 2025

Depth of flavor is something we all hope to impart in our recipes, but is easier said than done. If this is one of your cooking conundrums, you don’t need to look any further than your fridge.

Using beer in your recipes can add layers of complexity you didn’t know were m… Read More >>

The Homebody Goes Gourmet

Feb. 15, 2025

Cold winter nights sometimes leave us with no other option than to seek comfort for our hearts and souls, and for me that comes in the form of food. We’ll take a look at two recipes we can make all year round, but this time with a few winter wonderland change-ups.

Inspired by … Read More >>

Recipes: Tapping into the Michigan Maple

Jan. 18, 2025

One could make the argument, what’s more Michigan, cherries or maple? And by maple, of course we mean maple syrup. Tap into your Michigan roots with these recipes that honor the ingredients grown in the land we love and the trees that live on it.

Depending on the weather, we&r… Read More >>