Cook’s Corner readers who are certain they’ve seen something from Barb Sartain before in this column are
correct.
But after a second win in the Bowling Green Downtown Farmers Market’s Farm Fresh Recipe Contest, she’s
deserving of  getting another recipe published.
Sartain’s Apple Peanut Butter Cookie was selected as the winner of the fruit part of the summer recipe
contest.
“This is a very old recipe that I have had, I betcha’ 20 years. I kind of tweaked it,” she said.
It was changed for health reasons.
“I lost over 50 pounds on Weight Watchers,” which she started 18 months ago, Sartain said. “I just eat
very healthy now. I’m definitely a foodie. I’m a personal chef.
“I love, love, love, love to cook.”
Her tweaks for the cookie include using natural peanut butter and lessening the amount of sugar
originally called for.
“It made it a little bit more of a healthy cookie.”
The cookie was also tweaked for its debut and free samples at last week’s farmers market. Judge Matt
Beck, of Heritage Corner Healthcare Campus, made the cookies into bars for easier mass baking.
The judges also noted, “Granny Smith Apples are the apple of choice for this application, but any firm
cooking apple would work. At the judge’s tasting, it was suggested that with a substitution of
applesauce or flax seed and water for the egg, the recipe could be considered healthy enough to stand in
for toaster pastries as an occasional breakfast item. Adding chopped peanuts to the batter could give
additional texture and nutritive value.”
Sartain said another benefit to the cookie is that it is so moist it lasts for days.
Last summer, her Corn-Blueberry Tart was a winner in the farmers market recipe contest. Sartain has also
submitted a tomato recipe for the last farmers market contest this summer.
Her Cherry Tomato Meatballs are made of ground turkey shaped into balls, then tucked into a hollowed-out
cherry tomato. She covers them with slices of mozzarella and a little pesto and sets them under the
broiler.
Healthy eating has led to an active lifestyle.
“I feel like a million bucks,” said Sartain, who is 67 years old and regularly bikes, swims and walks. “I
can honestly say I’m the healthiest I’ve been in my adult life.”
At home in Bowling Green, she grows pots of basil and other herbs. Sartain loves to grill veggies in the
summer and whip up a basil-pesto sauce that she’ll can for the winter, too. What she doesn’t grow, she
finds at farmers markets.
“I enjoy coming here. I’ll go to Perrysburg’s market. I enjoy all the fresh produce.”
Sartain chooses not to push her 12-year-old granddaughter, who lives with her, to eat the same menu. Kids
and teens often don’t have the same developed taste palate as adults, she believes.
“If I’m having a piece of grilled chicken and fresh vegetables and salad, she’s having Ramen noodles,”
Sartain said with a laugh. “I can just hope my life is an example of the lifestyle you can have as she
gets older.”
Sartain was born and raised in Walbridge and has lived in Grand Rapids and Perrysburg. She’s been in
Bowling Green since 2002. Over 20 years, she worked with adults with developmental disabilities.
When she’s not cooking, she’s reenacting life from the 18th century.
“I’ve been a reenactor since 1988. I don’t do a lot of events now. It used to every weekend I was
somewhere.”
At one 10-day event years ago, she portrayed a tavern keeper and it was a keeper.
“I have always portrayed that persona. I was widowed,” Sartain said. “I’m an 18th-century businesswoman.
Kind of tough. Kind of strong. Showing some cleavage.”
Apple Peanut Butter Cookies
Approximately 2 dozen cookies
Preparation time 15 minutes, total time 45 minutes
Ingredients:
1⁄2 cup natural creamy peanut butter
2 eggs
11⁄2 cups packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
11⁄4 cup finely chopped peeled and cored apple
2 cups flour
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup oats
Instructions:
Mix first 5 ingredients. Add the next 4 ingredients. Add the oats and mix well. Put a heaping tablespoon
on parchment lined cookie sheet and pat down with greased fingers. Bake 12 minutes.
Egg Substitutions:
Substitute 1⁄3 cup applesauce or 3 T ground flax seed and 3 T water for the 2 eggs.