I'm So Happy. It's Cherry Season.

For the last couple of weeks, I have been unusually happy. It's not the weather or exercise or Prozac. It's cherries.

Here's the deal with cherries: their season is ridiculously short, their price is ridiculously high, but the flavor is ridiculously delicious. Who can deny the pure pleasure of eating a sweet-tart, fresh, juicy cherry?

It is prime cherry pickin' time. So here's what you need to know about selecting, storing, and cooking with cherries.

When is cherry season?
Most cherries are in season from late May through late July. The season is short: typically 4-5 weeks, peaking at about week 3.

Why are cherries so expensive?
For good reasons: Cherries are highly dependent upon good weather; they're also highly susceptible to insect damage and disease and often require protection from netting or cheesecloth, which is time consuming for farm workers. Finally, they must be picked carefully and are highly perishable since they do not ripen once harvested. This all adds up to a labor intensive and expensive fruit to produce, which is why the price is high. Don't wait for a big sale on cherries; it might not come. If you love them --and you know you do -- then just splurge.

How do you select cherries?
Ripe cherries should be firm, but not hard. The color can range from scarlet to burgundy depending on the variety. In general look for deeply saturated cherries. Discard any cherries that are split, knicked or bruised.

How do you store cherries?
Store cherries unwashed in a covered plastic container in the refrigerator. They should last 4-5 days. To freeze cherries, wash and thoroughly dry the pitted or unpitted cherries; store loosely in resealable freezer bags. Defrost when ready to use. Frozen cherries will last up to 6 months in the freezer.

How do you pit a cherry?
You can buy a cherry pitter. Or you can do it the old-fashioned way, like me: Place the cherry on a cutting board. Place the flat side of a wide knife on the cherry and press gently until it splits. Open the cherry and remove the pit.

How do you eat cherries?
In the car on the way home from the market. Come on, you know you do. But if you have the will power, then wait until you get home to give them a rinse under some running water. Then eat to your heart's content. Cherries are ideal in sweet dishes, such as pies, clafoutis, cobblers, cakes, and ice cream. They also work well in many savory dishes. Try them in salads, chutneys, and sauces, which are wonderful on chicken, duck, and pork.

Coming soon to a Food Blogga near you:

Almond-Crusted French Toast with Fresh Cherry Sauce

Mesclun, Cherry, and Goat Cheese Salad
Serves 4
Print recipe only here.

Vinaigrette:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint or parsley
1/4 teaspoon sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Salad:
8 cups mesclun greens, preferably with mixed herbs
1 cup pitted fresh cherries, halved
2 inner white stalks of celery with leaves, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese
2 tablespoons toasted pecans

For the vinaigrette, whisk all ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, add the mesclun greens, cherries, and celery. Pour half of the vinaigrette and toss until coated. Divide evenly among four plates. Add crumbled goat cheese and pecans to each plate. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette.

**White balsamic vinegar is made from white wine vinegar and grapes. Because it is milder than traditional brown balsamic vinegar and doesn't stain food, it's preferable for this watermelon salad. It can be found at specialty markets and most major supermarkets. Rice vinegar can be substituted.

You might also like these cherry-licious recipes:

Savory Cherry and Rhubarb Chutney





Almond Panna Cotta with Glazed Cherries





Quick Chocolate-Cinnamon Mousse with Cherries






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A Recipe for Special Christmas Chocolate Chip, Cherry, and Pistachio Cookies and the Winners of the Christmas Book Give-Away

For my Christmas book give-away, I asked you tell me the name of your favorite Christmas cookie. And, boy, did you name some exciting ones! From Italian Taralles, knot cookies with the icing and sprinkles, to American Cranberry Turtle Bars to Austrian Linzer cookies, you covered the gamut of beloved international holiday treats.

However, four cookies topped your list of favorites. They are:

• Rich, buttery shortbread
• Simple sugar cookies
• Spicy ginger cookies
• And my favorite of the four, classic chocolate chip cookies

Americans in particular love a good chocolate chip cookie. That's in large part do to Ruth Wakefield, a home baker in Massachusetts, who in 1930 opened a lodge call The Toll House Inn.

One day as she was making her Butter Drop Do cookies, she tossed some Nestle semi-sweet chocolate into the dough expecting it to get all melty. It didn't. In fact, the cookies were tantalizingly creamy and chocolaty, becoming an instant hit at the Inn. Eventually Ruth ventured into a partnership with Nestle and, lo and behold, the famous Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie was born. Nearly 80 years later, they remain one of America's favorite cookies.



So for all of my fellow chocolate chip cookie lovers out there, I've got a special Christmassy chocolate chip cookie for you: Chocolate Chip, Cherry, and Pistachio Cookies. When you bite into the slightly crisp exterior, you'll discover a soft chewy center studded with sweet chocolate chips, tart dried cherries, and rich pistachios.

Just to prove how good these cookies are,when my mom was here, I asked her to taste one to see if she liked it. She said, "I'm not a fan of chocolate chip cookies, honey." "Aw, come on, just taste one," I implored. She took a bite, paused, smiled, and said, "Now, that's what you call a chocolate chip cookie." Maybe I should call Nestle.

These are going into the big cookie jar along with scores of other international Christmas cookies. Click on the logo for details to submit yours and see all of the delicious cookies here.

Chocolate Chip, Cherry, and Pistachio Cookies
These chocolate chip cookies are slightly crisp on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside, where you'll discover sweet chocolate, tart cherries, and rich pistachios.

Makes about 30-35 cookies
Print recipe only here.

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cups dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup dried cherries
1 cup finely chopped pistachios

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and center a baking rack. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars; beat in the eggs and vanilla extract until smooth. Mix flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl; add to the large bowl, and beat until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips, cherries, and pistachios.

Drop 2 tablespoons of cookie dough 2 inches apart (as they will spread) on the parchment-lined baking sheets.

Bake cookies for 13-15 minutes, or until firm and golden brown around the edges. Transfer to a rack and cool for 15 minutes.

To store cookies, layer between pieces of waxed paper to prevent sticking and place in an air-tight container. Properly stored, cookies should last up to a week.



Now, thanks to the help of Random.org, I'm happy to announce the winners of the Christmas book give-away:

Lucky #48--Claire, whose favorite cookies are Nanaimo bars
and
Lucky #57--Culinarywannabe, whose favorite cookies are Haystacks

Congratulations to you both! Please email me your full names and addresses so I can send you the book.


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Pork Tenderloin with Indian Spiced Cherry and Rhubarb Chutney

Life has been a big bowl of cherries lately.

First there was simple yet chic Almond Panna Cotta with Glazed Cherries. Then there was homey, comforting Cherry-Apricot Cobbler with Buttermilk Biscuit Crust.

Today it's Pork Tenderloin with Indian Spiced Cherry and Rhubarb Chutney because I simply could not let cherry season pass without a savory recipe.

Cherries are surprisingly delicious in savory dishes. The key is to balance the cherry's sweet and tart flavors. So if you're using sweet cherries, then pair them with something sour, salty, spicy, or acidic. If you're using sour or tart cherries, then pair them with something sweet or salty.



Cherries are ideal for chutney because their inherent sweetness is enhanced with sharp green onions, acidic vinegar, and spicy seasonings. As for sweet cherries and tart rhubarb -- well you'll just have to try it to believe it.



Pork Tenderloin with Indian Spiced Cherry and Rhubarb Chutney
Serves 4
Print recipe only here.

How to pit a cherry:
Place the cherry on a cutting board. Place the flat side of your knife on the cherry and press gently until it splits. Open the cherry and remove the pit.

Chutney:
1 teaspoon canola oil
2 green onions, thinly sliced (about 1/4 cup)
1 red bell pepper, diced (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 serrano chili, minced, with some seeds
1 cup fresh cherries, pitted and coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon hot curry powder
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
salt, to taste

2 cups cooked grain of your choice, such as cous-cous, quinoa, or white rice

Pork:
1 1/4 pound pork tenderloin
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons butter


To make the chutney, heat canola oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Saute green onions, red peppers, and rhubarb for 3 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add chili and cherries, cooking for an additional 2-3 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients (vinegar through cinnamon), and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered, until thick and reduced, about 30-35 minutes. Allow to cool before serving. Season with salt, to taste. (This chutney will keep for up to 2 weeks if refrigerated in an airtight container.)

Cut the tenderloin into medallions, and season with salt and pepper. Let stand for about 10 minutes.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 teaspoons olive oil and 2 teaspoons butter. Add the pork; cook for 3-4 minutes, until crispy and browned, then flip and cook until browned all over and just cooked through (the meat should be tender).

Place cooked grain on a platter, add cooked pork, and cover with warm fruit salsa. Serve immediately.


Since this dish uses cherries in an unusual way, I'm sending it to Simona of Briciole, this week's host of Weekend Herb Blogging, created by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen. You can check out the new rules for WHB here, then send your entry to Simona.

You might also like:

Grilled Steak Tacos with Watermelon-Mango-Jicama Salsa





Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Fresh Pineapple Chutney





Pork Tenderloin with Strawberry-Mango Salsa





Shrimp Tacos with Citrus-Avocado Salsa





More tangy rhubarb chutneys:

• Johanna's Cheese Bites with Rhubarb and Chili Chutney
  
• Laura Rebecca's Grilled Ham Steaks with Rhubarb Chutney
• Lydia's Rhubarb Apricot Chutney
  
• Where I'm Cooking From's Spicy Rhubarb Chutney
  

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Fresh Apricot and Cherry Cobbler with Buttermilk Biscuit Crust

I love reading your comments on my blog every day. This recent one on my fresh apricot muffin post caught my eye. Lovely Ann of Redacted Recipes wrote: *sigh* Every time I read a new post of yours I fall into a geographical depression. Your apricots are so beautiful! And those muffins! I love the way each one coyly shows a little fruit... :-)

Though I had never heard of "geographical depression," I know what Ann means. I used to have it myself (though I referred to it less genteelly). Trust me, I don't post on these gems to make you depressed or envious; I do it because I get so ridiculously excited that I just have to share my finds. That's why I'm posting another picture of fresh farmers' market apricots and cherries.



When I saw that 20-foot-long table covered with plump, brilliant red cherries and velvety soft golden apricots I audibly gasped (hey, I wasn't the only one). Then I turned to Jeff and said something like, "I'm making an apricot and cherry pie when we get home! Or should I make a crumble? Ooh-ooh, I know, how about a cobbler?" See what I mean? Waaay too excited.



We decided on a cobbler. I wasn't sure what I wanted to use for the cobbler top, but I didn't have to search too long. My mom and dad had recently sent me Nick Malgieri's How to Bake. When my mom realized I didn't have his book, she was shocked:

"What?! How could you not have Nick Malgieri's book? I love his book! Well, that's it. Your father and I are going to Border's this weekend to get you one," she said.

"Mom you don't need to--" I started to say.

"Susan, listen to your mother," she said.

A week later, the book was in our mail box.

Though Malgieri's book isn't new, it's a treasure trove of classic dessert recipes. Considering that he is an award-winning author of 5 cookbooks and has been the director of the baking program at the Institute of Culinary Education in NYC for the last 12 years, I think he knows what he's talking about. I like the way he covers baking basics such as how to make flaky pie dough and perfect tarts and how he offers suggestions for variations (like Dorie Greenspan, whose book is a bible among food bloggers.)

So here is my mildly adapted version of Nick's Cobbler with Buttermilk Biscuit Crust. I made a spicier, sweeter fruit filling and cut out circles of biscuit dough for the top instead of making one solid crust.



This cobbler is a comforting, old-timey dessert. From the moment you smell the sweet buttermilk biscuit topping baking in the oven to the first taste of luscious, warm, sweet apricots and tangy cherries, you'll want to sit out on a rocking chair on your grandmother's porch and listen to her spin tales from her youth.

Fresh Apricot and Cherry Cobbler with Buttermilk Biscuit Crust
Makes 6-8 servings.
Print recipe only here.

Filling:
3 pounds ripe fresh apricots, about 15
1 cup pitted fresh cherries
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg, optional
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Buttermilk Biscuit Crust:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cake flour (I just used all-purpose flour)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
2/3 cups buttermilk

Glaze:
1 tablespoon buttermilk, cream, or milk
1 tablespoon sugar

Garnish:
2 tablespoons raw sugar crystals, for sprinkling on top

Place rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Use a 9 or 10-inch pie plate or a 1 1/2 quart deep oven-proof baking dish.

To make the filling, lightly cut an X on the bottom of each apricot and place them into a large pot of boiling water for about 30 seconds. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl of ice water. If the apricots are ripe, the skins will slip off easily. If not, then use a sharp paring knife to remove the skins. Cut each apricot into 5-6 wedges and place in the baking dish along with the pitted cherries.

Combine sugars, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg; pour over the fruit and stir gently. Add dots of butter all over the top of the filling. Set aside while preparing dough.

To make the crust, combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir well to combine. Cut the butter into 8 or 10 pieces and rub into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse meal (or pulse in a food processor fitted with a metal blade). Make a well in the center and add the buttermilk. Stir gently with a fork, being careful not to overwork the dough (or it will become leaden.) Let the dough stand in the bowl for a couple of minutes to let the flours absorb the liquid.

Flour a work surface and turn the dough onto it. Fold the dough over itself 2 or 3 times, until smoother and less sticky. Lightly re-flour the work surface and roll the dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. For circles, using the top of a drinking glass or a round cookie cutter, make about 12 rounds. Gently place the rounds on top of the filling, slightly overlapping the edges. Brush with glaze, and sprinkle with raw sugar crystals.

Alternatively, you could make a full top crust by rolling the dough out slightly larger than the size of your baking dish. Trim excess dough and flute the edges of the dough at the rim of the dish. Make 4 or 5 (1-inch) slashes in the center of the dough.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the crust is deep golden brown and filling is bubbling gently. (For easy clean-up, you may want to place a sheet of tinfoil on the rack under the baking dish to catch any drips.) Cool before serving. Cobbler is best served warm or at room temperature. It can be enjoyed plain or with some whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

You might also like these fruity desserts:

Coconut-Lime Rice Pudding with Mangoes and Cashews





Fresh Cherry and Peach Upside-Down Cake





Mini Custards with Limoncello-Spiked Raspberry Sauce




And, boy, do food bloggers love a good cobbler! You could stay busy all summer long with these:

• Abby's Blueberry Cobbler
  
• Alanna's Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler
• Elise's Plum Cobbler
  
• Glenna's Blackberry and Cherry Cobbler
  
• Kalyn's Peach and Berry Cobbler
  
• Karina's Vegan Blueberry Cobbler
• Matt's Peach and Raspberry Cobbler
  
• Simona's Cobbler di Fragole (Strawberry Cobbler)

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Almond Panna Cotta with Glazed Cherries for Father's Day Dessert

Millions of you wrote in this week asking me for a dessert to go with the creamy lobster risotto for Father's Day. (OK, maybe thousands of you. Or maybe like a couple anyway). So here it is: Almond Panna Cotta with Glazed Cherries. You didn't think I was gonna leave you in the lurch, did you?

Panna cotta or "cooked cream" is a popular Italian dessert made from cooking milk, cream, sugar, and gelatin. It makes a luxurious dessert for Father's Day or any other special occasion. Be warned: panna cotta's silky texture and rich flavor will make even the manliest of men swoon. He may even say strange things like, "heavenly," "sublime," and "decadent." This is normal. However, if this behavior continues for more than a few hours, don't panic. Turn your television on to the Speed Channel, gently lead your man to the sofa, and seat him there with a Slim Jim and a Coors Light. In a few hours he'll be making sense again.



There are myriad recipes for panna cotta, but I used Helen's (everyone's favorite tartelette). Helen claimed this panna cotta was "easy-peasy," and she wasn't kidding. It took minutes to make, then it was placed in the fridge to set. It's endlessly versatile as well; I added almond extract to mine since almonds and cherries are so lovely together. But feel free to experiment with your own favorite flavors.

So make Dad some panna cotta this weekend. It's much more impressive than a sundae but still has a cherry on top.



Almond Panna Cotta with Glazed Cherries
Makes 4 small servings.
Print recipe only here.

Panna Cotta:
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream or half and half
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 teaspoons powdered unflavored gelatin bloomed in 2 tablespoons water

Cherries:
3/4 cup fresh pitted cherries
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/4 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon water or orange juice

In a small saucepan over medium-high, combine milk, cream, and sugar; bring to a boil. Stir in the almond extract. Remove from heat, and let stand for 20 minutes. Pass the mixture through a sieve. Microwave the gelatin for 8 seconds, and stir it in the cream mixture. Divide evenly among 4 small ramekins or other servings dishes. Cover with Saran Wrap, and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

To make the sauce, combine all ingredients in a small pan over medium-heat high. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 10 minutes, until the sauce is slightly thickened. Leave at room temperature or refrigerate if making ahead. Just slightly re-heat it before serving, as it will thicken when chilled.

For an alternate presentation, you can flip the panna cotta upside down on a plate and spoon the glazed cherries on top.

Here are more delicious desserts you might like for Father's Day:

Fresh Cherry and Peach Upside-Down Cake





Mini Custards with Limoncello-Spiked Raspberry Sauce





Quick Chocolate-Cinnamon Mousse with Cherries





Strawberry-Rhubarb Sponge Pudding





Can't get enough panna cotta? Then check these out:

• Angela's Saffron Panna Cotta with Rhubarb Marmellata
  
• Aran's Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Strawberries
  
• Jen's Espresso Panna Cotta
  
• Marianna's Orange-Clementine Panna Cotta
  
• Pille's Panna Cotta with Roasted Rhubarb
• Wendy's Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Blueberries
  

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Baking Fresh Cherry and Peach Upside-Down Cake on a Rainy Day

Last Thursday I was driving home on the freeway at 3:45 pm when the local traffic report came on:

Well, the 163 in both directions is heavy. So is the 5 North and South and the 805. Looks like everybody is leaving work early to avoid the rain that San Diegans are expecting tonight.

Yup. It's true. Southern Californians leave work early when rain is expected. OK bloggers from Seattle, go ahead and laugh. We deserve it.

For the record, I have never left early because of rain. I mean what kind of a New Englander would I be? And what would my dad think of me?

I guess Southern Californians don't really know any better. Why should they? It hardly ever rains here, and when it does, it wreaks havoc. No, I'm not talking about flooding and mudslides. I'm talking about traffic. You can see a half dozen accidents on one commute and get stuck in a traffic jam that lasts hours. Seriously, it was easier to get home after the blizzard of '78 than it is to get home after a "heavy rain shower" here in SoCal.

So I avoided the madness by doing what any good blogger would do: I went home and baked a cake. Isn't there something so comforting about the aroma of baking wafting through the house as the rain patters gently against the windows?



One of my favorites is my mom's Upside-Down Pineapple Cake, which was her mother's original recipe that is close to 70 years old! I will post the original in the fall, but today I wanted something that celebrated spring. With a gorgeous bowl of tart cherries and some sweet fresh peaches smiling at me, I found my inspiration. I added some freshly squeezed orange juice and zest which compliments the fruit and adds another dimension of flavor.



This is an amazingly light, moist cake that is only made more irresistible by a thick, sugary crust that holds the plump cherries and peaches firmly in place. After one mouthful, you'll wish it rained every day.



Fresh Cherry and Peach Upside-Down Cake
Makes 8 servings
Print recipe only here.

1/2 cup butter (8 tablespoons)
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup fresh cherries, pitted and halved
3-4 small, ripe peaches, pitted and halved
1 cup flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, separated
1 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons orange juice
2 teaspoons orange zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F.

Place butter in a 9-inch-round baking pan, and place inside of a warm oven until melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven, and sprinkle brown sugar evenly over the butter. Add the peach halves, cut side down, then add the cherry halves, filling in all of the nooks and crannies.

In a medium bowl, combine sifted flour, baking powder and salt, and stir.

Using a hand mixer, in a metal or glass bowl, beat egg whites at high speed until fluffy. Set aside.

In a separate bowl beat egg yolks with sugar at medium speed until creamy. Add orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla extract, and beat well. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, and beat until well combined. Fold in the egg whites with a rubber spatula. Pour cake mixture evenly over the fruit, and smooth with the spatula.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Run a blunt knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake. Invert carefully onto a plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.

You might also like these spring-time desserts:

Quick Chocolate-Cinnamon Mousse with Cherries





Mini Custards with Limoncello-Spiked Raspberry Sauce





Strawberry-Rhubarb Sponge Pudding





PS--Witty Nuria just reminded me of that great 1974 song "It Never Rains in Southern California." It's an ideal match for my post, so I'm sending it to Elly for her fun Eat to the Beat event that runs through June. Make sure you watch this Albert Hammond You Tube video--it's worth it just to see his bell-bottoms and Bee-Gee's permed hair. Yikes.

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