My personal favorite way to enjoy a cherry is fresh, straight from a tree or
a supermarket bin – or in a delicious dessert. But cherries are used in a
variety of different types of dishes from all over the world. Some examples:
In Persian cuisine, sour
cherries – both fresh and dried – are often paired with meat.
Cold sour cherry soup, made
with red wine, apple juice, sour cream and spices, is a popular Hungarian
summer dish.
Kirsch is a German
liqueur that’s made from crushed cherry pits and the distilled juice of
black cherries.
Ratafia, a wine of
French Creole origin, is made from cherries soaked in wine, brandy, or
distilled alcohol, to which a sugar syrup is added for fermentation.
The French enjoy griottes,
chocolate covered cherries that feature kirsch encased with the fruit.
Even sweet cherries can be
made into non-sweet sauces and accompaniments, such as cherry salsa.
And, of course, there are the standard American favorites such as cherry pie
and cherry cheesecake. It doesn’t stop there, though. A butcher named Ray
Pleva, who lives in Traverse City, Michigan
(yes, the same city where commercial cherry production began), patented a line
of cherry-enhanced meats. The cherry-hamburger mix, which he calls Plevalean,
has 65% less fat, 150 fewer calories, and 16% more protein than standard ground
beef … and, its enthusiasts claim, it is moister and better tasting too.
A couple of interesting and unique cherry recipes, taken from The Unofficial
National Cherry Homepage:
MAPLE CHERRY SAUCE
1/3 cup cherry juice blend
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup frozen unsweetened tart cherries, thawed and well drained
3/4 cup maple-flavored syrup
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon grated orange peel.
Put cherry juice blend and cornstarch in a small saucepan; mix well. Cook
over medium heat until thickened. Add cherries, maple-flavored syrup, walnuts
and orange peel; mix well. Cook, stirring frequently, over low heat until all
ingredients are hot. Serve over roast turkey, pork or ham.
CHERRY DELIGHT
1 (21-ounce) can cherry filling and topping
1 (16-ounce) container low-fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 teaspoon almond extract, or to taste
1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed
Fresh mint leaves
Combine cherry filling, cottage cheese, almonds and almond extract; mix
well. Fold in whipped topping. Let chill until ready to serve. Garnish with
mint leaves, if desired. Serve as a salad, dessert or snack.