The official start of spring may be in March, but for us, the real start of spring is when the cherries start showing up at farmers markets and stores. Their arrival marks the beginning of stone fruit season. The cherries that have just started appearing are short-lived and sweet, so if you want to get them, go now. What do you do with these gorgeous cherries if you don’t want to eat them raw? We have an idea.
In the meantime, listen to this fascinating story about the history of Black Republican cherries. It begins with Henderson Luhring, the eldest son of a Quaker family who ran a nursery school in Iowa in the late 1830s. He stocked 35 varieties of small produce, including apples, pears, peaches, plums, and cherries. Today, the Salem family home is a federally recognized landmark. Not because of the fruit trees, but because it was a subway stop.
This chocolate pudding with coffee-soaked black cherries involves soaking Bing or Nelson cherries in a coffee-sugar mixture and tossing them with ground coffee, brown sugar, and ginger. Photo courtesy of EE Burger.
Chocolate pudding with coffee pickled black cherries
This recipe is taken from Abra Berens’ book. Pulp: A practical guide to cooking with fruit. Similar to salted cherries, these cherries are soaked in coffee syrup for an extended period of time to create a blend of coffee, chocolate, and red fruit flavors. If you don’t have the time or inclination to soak the cherries, just add a coffee rub to add something extra to an already sumptuous dessert. get the recipe
Cherry pie is a classic spring pastry. Photo credit: Elena Sambros/Unsplash.
Evan Kleiman’s Sour Cherry Pie
“Proper cherry pie is made with tart cherries, not sweet cherries,” explains Evan Kleiman. “You can make a pie using sweet cherries, but I always find it tastes better when combined with another fruit, such as a peach.” Cherry pie is very easy to make, but there are several options . Do you add thickeners and sugar and cook the cherries in the pie, or do you make a cooked filling? Each decision has its pluses and minuses. Evan will guide you through your choices. get the recipe
balsamic roasted cherries
This recipe is by Dan Matten of Friends & Family (formerly Cook’s County). They like to roast the cherries in a wood-fired oven until the skins burst and release their juices. When cooked this way, the cherries pair well with pork or duck dishes, but they can also be eaten alone as an appetizer, with a spoonful of mascarpone. Mattern suggests juicier varieties such as burrat or bing for this dish, but firmer cherries such as brooks hold up well in the oven. get the recipe
Clafoutis is a custard-flavored French dessert usually made with cherries, but can also be made with other fruits. Photo via Shutterstock.
cherry clafoutis
Clemence de Lutz of the Gourmandie School says the best way to eat cherries is to eat them right away, outdoors, when the fruit is in season. If you want to bake, she recommends this cherry clafoutis recipe that she’s been making with her grandmother since she was a little girl. By the way, she recently opened a new bakery in Santa Monica, Petit Grain Boulangerie, with her partner Tony Hernadez. get the recipe
Pistachio cherry danish
In her cookbook Mix, Sizzle, and Bake: Cast Iron Skillet Recipes: Cookbook, Charlotte Druckmann shares a recipe for a giant pistachio cherry danish made in a 10-inch skillet. Imagine warm, gooey bread stuffed with swirls of sweet pistachio paste, crunchy nuts, and tart cherries. Want to impress your guests at brunch? This is your dish. get the recipe
This cold cherry soup is a Hungarian recipe with a California twist. Photo via Shutterstock.
Chilled spiced cherry soup
Author Russ Parsons How to read french fries former food editor of Los Angeles Timesgave us this recipe in 2006 and it’s still valid. “Balsamic is what makes this California-inspired take on Hungarian cold, spicy soups different,” he explains. He suggests serving this as a first course on a hot afternoon. get the recipe
savory cherry almond salad
This recipe by Amelia Saltzman was inspired by a recipe she found in a magazine. Los Angeles Times Cherries aren’t often used in savory dishes, but here they add a sweet-sour accent to a salad. Saltsman recommends using several types of cherries for contrasting flavors, colors and textures. A slightly bitter frisée or slices of escarole and cheese complement the first stone fruits of summer. get the recipe
Rainier cherries are only sold for a short time each spring and have a mild yellow color. Photo courtesy of ZhengZhou/Wikimedia Commons.
rainier cherry pie
Erika Penzer Kerekes of In Erika’s Kitchen loves using the sweet, mild yellow Rainier cherries in pies and tarts. The reason is: “Less sugar means more cherry flavor and less syrup flavor. Plus, Rainier has another great thing about it: it doesn’t stain. ”. We use fabric that is easy to press. It’s crispy but has enough structure to withstand the heavy layer of cherries. Adding olive oil to the dough will improve the texture. get the recipe
Cherry and baby tomatoes with lemon basil and mint
Pascal Beer’s book, Les Fruits: Savory and sweet recipes from the market table, full of ideas for putting fruit in the center of the plate. Although fruit is often associated with sweet foods and desserts, using fruit to create delicious dishes has a long history in the cuisines of Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. This summer salad recipe combines cherries and baby tomatoes. get the recipe
Evan Kleiman’s Duck Peach Cherry Galette with a Flavorful White Cornmeal Crust
Inspired by Adrian Cain’s Cornmeal Crust United States of Pi Not only is stone fruit in season, Evan also combines peaches, cherries, and duck meat to create unique creations. It’s flavored with sweet, warming chai spice and black pepper, which makes it a perfect bite. To give it more structure, she suggests baking the galette in a pie pan. get the recipe
