- Cherry, watermelon, feta and tomato salad
- Braised cherry and pork stew
- Sour cream and cherry muffins
The first memory I have of understanding the magic of cherries was when I was 20, traveling through Europe with my best friend after spending six months at culinary school in London.
We were on an overnight ferry from England to France, and I was seasick. A young woman was nearby, clutching the ferry railing with the same panic-stricken look that I was sure was on my face.
We started talking, and I quickly learned she was a Canadian, an au pair working for a family just outside Paris, helping take care of two young French children.
We both admitted to our seasick tendencies and made a pact to talk the entire way across the channel until sunrise.
By the end of the trip, with neither of us sick, we became fast friends.
“The family that I am working for is away for a week, and I’m having a big weekend party at their house. Come! It’s in a cherry orchard!” I recall her telling me.
With visions of Chekov dancing in our heads, we agreed to meet the following day. My best friend and I found the right train to the suburbs and somehow made our way to our new friend’s party.
What I remember clearly is a rambling old French house filled with dozens of people. They were playing music, cooking, smoking pot and … being French. I was immediately enchanted. And then she took us for a walk through the cherry orchard.
An entire field with tree after tree brimming with scarlet and maroon colored fruit; hundreds, possibly thousands of cherries ready for the picking. There were little woven baskets scattered throughout the orchard, and she told us to pick as many as we wanted. The fragrance — a sweet-sour flowery blast — hit me first. And then we began picking and eating and picking and eating while the sweet scarlet juices spilled all over our denim overalls (this was 1976!). We were in heaven. We brought the baskets into the kitchen, and I asked if I could make a pie. “Of course,” our new friend replied as she showed me the rolling pins, tart pans and sugar. I cooked for hours with this just-picked harvest and declared the cherry my new favorite fruit.
Cherries have everything going for them. They can be sweet or sour, deep maroon colored or yellow and pink-blushed. They are full of juice and work well in sweet or savory dishes. They are even more precious because they have a short season (May through early fall, depending on where they are harvested). Their shelf life is equally short, meaning you want to eat them as quickly as possible. Cherries are best kept in the refrigerator in a paper bag.
You can add cherries to summer salads, salsa, barbecue sauces and stews. You can use them to make pies, scones, muffins and galettes. What follows are three new recipes that show off the cherry.
First up is a thoroughly refreshing, simple summer salad made with cherries, watermelon, feta cheese and tomatoes.
Next is a main course that uses cherries in a light pork stew. The cherries are added to the stew in two phases: first in the sauce for slow cooking so they melt into the meat and create a sweet and sour cherry sauce. Then, halved cherries are added near the end so they hold their shape and add a juicy burst.
Finally, a cherry muffin uses fresh cherries and dried ones. The muffins are ideal for breakfast, snack or dessert.
It’s the pits
You can buy a gadget called a cherry pitter, or you can finally acknowledge that you have enough gadgets in your kitchen. Many cooks swear by them, particularly if you live near an area that grows cherries and you buy or grow a whole lot of them. Short of that, you can simply take a small sharp knife and cut the cherry in half (always working over a bowl to catch all the precious juices). Remove the pit with your fingers, and that’s it.
Sweet versus sour
Sour cherries, also called pie cherries, don’t grow everywhere and can be hard to find. One of my closest friends lives in upstate New York, and she finds huge batches of them every year at her local farmer’s market. Each summer we bake a sour cherry pie. It’s a great pie, but it really relies on having sour cherries. Look for them frozen if you don’t live in a sour cherry-growing region. Sour cherries tend to be smaller than Bing cherries, juicier and look like tiny jewels. They have a very short season and can easily be pitted and frozen.
Cherry, watermelon, feta and tomato salad
There’s a whole lot of red in this salad and juicy summer flavors. It’s thoroughly refreshing and makes a great lunch or side dish for dinner or a picnic. The juiciness of the cherries with the tart, sweet melon, tangy feta, sweet tomatoes and peppery radishes is a winning combo. If you want to add even more texture, sprinkle on ⅓ cup coarsely chopped pistachios or almonds
Makes 2 to 4 servings.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup pitted cherries, cut in half
- 1 cup watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 cup tomato or cherry tomatoes, cut into ½ inch cubes
- 1 cup feta, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3 radishes, thinly sliced
- 2 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon minced chives or scallions
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- On a large salad place arrange the cherries, watermelon, tomatoes, feta and radishes.
- In a small bowl, mix the oil, lemon juice, chives, salt and pepper, Taste for seasoning. Spoon the dressing on top of the salad just before serving.
Braised cherry and pork stew
OK, I know this sounds weird. And I know it might sound like a dish you would consider making on a cold February night but stay with me. As braised stews go, this one is on the light side, thanks to the fruity, sweetish cherries and chunks of tender pork shoulder or butt. A few sweet carrots, shallot (or onion), and some dry red wine, and the stew is on its way.
The cherry fruit flavor adds a haunting sweetness to the stew and makes it ideal for a late spring night or early summer meal. The cherries are added in two stages: at the beginning so they cook for a while, almost fall apart and flavor the sauce, and then more are added for just the final 30 minutes of cooking so they hold their shape. The combination of cooked-down cherries in the sauce and slightly less-cooked cherries is a great combination of flavor and texture.
You can serve this with a warm baguette, or alongside boiled parsley potatoes, polenta or rice.
Makes 2 to 4 servings.
INGREDIENTS
- About ½ cup flour
- Salt and pepper
- 1.3 pounds pork shoulder or butt, cut into 1-inch squares, excess fat trimmed
- About 1 to 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
- 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
- 4 medium carrots, about 9 ounces, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1-pound cherries, pitted and halved
- 1 ½ cups red wine (on the dry side, not too fruity)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place the flour on a medium-sized plate and season liberally with salt and pepper. Coat the pork in the flour on all sides. Do not throw out the remaining flour.
- In a medium-sized casserole or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches and being sure not to crowd the casserole, brown the pork in the oil for about 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until nicely browned. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, add shallots and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the carrots, salt and pepper and cook, stirring for 4 minutes. Stir in half the cherries and cook for 1 minute. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the reserved flour and cook for 1 minute. Raise the heat to high and add the wine; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, gently stir in the pork, and cover.
- Place the casserole in the preheated oven and cook for 1 hour. Remove and gently stir in the remaining cherries and place the lid back on the casserole slightly ajar. Cook for another 30 to 40 minutes, or until the pork is very tender when tested with a small, sharp knife. Taste the sauce for seasoning and adjust as needed.
Sour cream and cherry muffins
Cherries are used two ways here: fresh cherries and dried ones are mixed into a rich sour cream muffin batter and baked until they are golden and beautifully domed. Serve for breakfast or mid-day snack with butter or nothing at all. Iced coffee goes well with these fruity muffins.
Makes 9 to 12 muffins.
INGREDIENTS
- Oil for greasing the muffin tins
- 1 ½ cups sweet or sour cherries, pitted and halved
- ⅓ cup dried cherries (or cranberries)
- 1 cup sugar
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup of sour cream or crème fraîche
- 2 cups (240 grams) flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- ½ teaspoon powdered ginger
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Spray or rub oil in the bottom and sides of 9 or 12 muffin tins. (You can make 9 very tall domed muffins or 12 medium-sized ones.)
- Place the pitted cherries and dried cherries in a bowl and gently toss with ¼ cup of the sugar.
- In a large bowl whisk together the remaining sugar, oil, egg and vanilla. Add the sour cream and whisk until smooth.
- In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ginger.
- Gently fold the flour mixture into the sugar and egg mixture until no signs of flour streaks appear. Add the cherries (and any juice that’s collected in the bottom of the bowl) to the batter and fold to mix well.
- Divide the batter between the muffin tins (again, 9 will give you tall well-domed muffins and 12 will produce medium sized muffins). Place on the middle shelf and bake for around 20 to 25 minutes, until just golden brown and risen. A toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin should come out clean. Remove and let sit in the muffin tin for 5 minutes. Use a kitchen knife to slowly work your way around the muffin and release.
- Eat warm or place in a covered container for up to 3 days.
Find more favorite cherry recipes here.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
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