SUMMER CHERRIES - SUMMER SERIES
Summer cherries. When I see all those tiny fruits piled up in the bin of the produce aisle my mind goes racing. I start thinking about how I might make them the hero of a photograph. Next, I start thinking about what recipes to dig out just so I can incorporate these little red beauties as the star ingredient.
Cherry Trio © 2017 SuZan Alexander. Digital Photography
Summer Visits to New Mexico
I also have memories of summer stops at roadside fruit stands - oh, those magical summer trips to New Mexico. [sigh] The fresh cherry cider from the fruit stand is an extra special treat. I never managed to devise a plan for bringing home a few pints of cider. Yeah. I know. Who am I kidding? Like it would have made the whole 12-hour trip, right?
I think my best memory of these New Mexico cherries is that I used them to make my first cherry pie in which the cherry filling did not come from a can. Not that there is anything wrong with canned filling. I am grateful for the convenience, but fresh… oh my goodness. It just feels different somehow. I can’t remember what the pie tasted like - probably not so good if I can’t remember, but, I have to tell ya, it was a proud moment for me all the same.
My First Summer in Montana
I think I may be drawn to cherries because of their “scarcity”. As a southern gal, I only saw them, ever so briefly, in the grocery store when they were “in-season”. As I am experiencing my first summer in Montana, one of the bonuses is the availability of, you guessed it, cherries. They are bountiful and beautiful.
Since cherry season seems to be in full swing, the recipes which include cherries as an ingredient have been dusted off and are in the menu rotation. One of my favorite recipes is Tea-Braised Pork Tenderloin with Cherries. Yum!
Your Turn
Do you have a favorite recipe that includes cherries as an ingredient? Do tell. Let me know in the comments.
