Grant County Gourmet: Cherry season creates dessert opportunities

Cherry season is in full swing in our house. We’ve got boxes of them stashed out of the way for various food projects, including just eating them out of hand.

Cherries are closely related to the peach, apricot, and plum. Hundreds of varieties of sweet (Prunus avium) and sour (Prunus cerasus) cherries, believed to be native to Asia Minor, are widely cultivated. Sour cherries are mostly self-fertile, and are hardier and more easily grown than sweet cherries, which must be cross-pollinated. The fruit is popular eaten raw, and in preserves, pies, ciders, and liqueurs.

In the 19th century, chefs were expected to create upon demand special desserts to commemorate special occasions. In this case the demand was made on the famous chef, August Escoffier, in the year 1887. The occasion was Queen Victoria’s golden jubilee, and the dish was a simple, but magnificent combination of poached cherries and flaming Cherry Brandy. It was called jubilee cherries. It did not catch on, however, until a scoop of vanilla ice cream was added and then it became all the rage as Cherries Jubilee.

Along those lines, I created a simple dessert for a church potluck, including cherries and ice cream. It’s shown in the picture and listed below.

CREAMY CHERRY DESSERT

1 1 3/4 quart container vanilla ice cream

2 loaves pound cake, cut into small cubes

3 cups pitted fresh cherries, lightly chopped

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

The ice cream needs to be extremely soft. I leave it in the refrigerator overnight, so as to allow it to nearly pour out of the container. In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients gently. Place in a 9 x13 pan and pat down to fit. Place into the freezer until the ice cream is set. This time may vary depending on your freezer. Serve when nearly solid.

CHERRY LEMONADE

2/3 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice

4 tablespoon powdered sugar

3 cups water

2 cups fresh pitted cherries

Place all in a blender and process until the cherries are finely chopped. Strain, if desired. Serve over ice.

CHERRY SMOOTHIE

1 1/2 cups frozen unsweetened blueberries

1 cup pitted dark sweet cherries

2/3 cup cranberry juice

1/2 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt

Add ingredients a blender. Blend on high until mixture is smooth. Serve right away.

CHERRY SALAD

1 quart cherries, pitted

1 cup miniature marshmallows

1 cup walnuts

1 egg white, beaten

1 tablespoon flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup milk

Mix egg, flour, sugar and salt. Add milk and cook until thick, about 10-15 minutes on low heat. Pour over cherries, marshmallows and walnuts. Refrigerate.

CHERRY TART

4 cups sour cherries, pitted

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons brandy, optional

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 pound butter

1 egg, beaten

4 teaspoon cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Sweetened whipped cream

Sprinkle cherries with 10 tablespoons of the sugar and all of the brandy. Allow to stand for 1 hour, tossing occasionally. Mix the flour with the cinnamon and remaining sugar. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender. Mix in the egg and work the mixture with your hands until it just holds together. Chill for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pat the crust mixture into an 8 inch pie plate, making and even layer. Crimp the dough around a standing edge. Drain the cherries. Measure the drained syrup and, if necessary, add water to make 3/4 cup of liquid. Place 1/2 cup of the syrup in a pan and bring to a boil. Stir the cornstarch into the remaining 1/4 cup of the syrup. Pour the hot syrup over the blended cornstarch, return to the pan and cook over low heat, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the almond extract. Place the cherries in the tart shell and pour the hot sauce over them. Bake for 50 minutes. Serve warm or cold, garnished with whipped cream.