Cherry and Nectarine Cobbler
Serves 8
Cherries pair really well with other fruits, especially other stone fruits, like peaches, plums, or in this case, nectarines. I wanted to play a bit with the cobbler topping, so I used a basic cream scone recipe, but augmented it with steel cut oats. I really like the nutty texture and flavor the oats give the dough.
3 cups pitted cherries
2 nectarines, pitted and diced
4 teaspoons cornstarch
¼ cup sugar
juice of ½ a lemon
1 cup flour
1 cup steel cut oats
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of Kosher salt
zest of 1 lemon
4 ounces (1 stick) cold unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
Preheat the oven to 350°F
Place the cherries, nectarines, corn starch, sugar and lemon juice in a large bowl and gently stir to evenly mix. Pour the fruit into a 9" x 9" baking dish.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt and zest. Using a pastry blender, cut in the flour until the mixture resembles damp sand with pebbles mixed through. Using a wooden spoon, mix in the cream. Spoon the dough onto the fruit in large dollops.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the topping is browned and the fruit is bubbling. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Cherry Souffle
Makes 6 souffles.
The picture does not do this dessert justice. Souffles will start to collapse as they cool, and in the time it took me to take the ramekins out of the oven and take the picture, they deflated quite a bit. But, they were still very tasty!
8 ounces pitted cherries
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
4 egg whites
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons sugar
powdered sugar for garnish
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter and sugar six 4-ounce ramekins.
Place the cherries and ½ cup sugar in a medium sauce pan and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally as the juices start to release. Continue to cook the cherries until they have softened and the juices are are starting to thicken, about 10 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the pan with the cherries, stirring to mix through. Return the cherries to a boil and stir until the juices thicken. Remove from the heat. Using an immersion blender or a food processor, puree the cherries. Transfer the cherry pulp to a large mixing bowl and allow to cool completely.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, place the eggs and a pinch of salt. Turn the mixer on medium high and whip the egg whites to a soft, frothy peak. Add the sugar, increase the mixer speed to high, and continue to whip until the egg whites are a firm peak.
Spoon about a third of the egg whites into the cherry pulp and using a silicon spatula, fold the egg whites into the cherries. When the egg whites are mostly mixed in, add the second third and fold. When mostly mixed, add the final third and fold. When the egg whites are fully incorporated, divide the souffle batter among the prepared ramekins.
Bake for 20 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately.
Pickled Cherries
Makes about 2 ½ cups
Think pickles, and most people think cucumbers, or some other vegetable. But, you can pickle fruits, too, and cherries make a really tasty pickle. This first recipe is for the cherries themselves, but the following recipes will give you some ideas for how to use them.
1 cup pitted cherries, cut in half
2/3 cup red wine vinegar
2/3 cup sugar
5 peppercorns
½ cinnamon stick
1 green cardamom pod
1 star anise pod
Place the cherries in a medium, heat proof bowl. Place the remaining ingredients in a small saucepan and heat to a boil. Pour the boiling liquid into the bowl with the cherries and stir to combine. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the cherries to cool to room temperature. Remove the spices from the bowl, then place it in the refrigerator.
Seared Salmon on a Salad of Butter Lettuce, Radishes and Pickled Cherries
Serves 2
One of the easiest ways to use the pickled cherries is as a garnish.Their sweet/sour flavor is a nice contrast to the richness of proteins like salmon, turkey, or pork.
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, passed through a garlic press
2 tablespoons sour cream
4 tablespoons buttermilk
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped herbs (such as chives, lemon thyme, parsley, basil)
2 salmon filets, about 6 ounces each, skin removed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
olive oil to saute
1 head butter lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces
2 radishes, thinly sliced
¼ cup pickled cherries, drained
To make the dressing, whisk together the mustard, garlic, sour cream, buttermilk, lemon juice and herbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Season the salmon filets with salt and pepper. When the skillet is hot, add a small amount of oil, then place the salmon skin side up into the skillet. Sear until browned and a nice crust has formed, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the salmon over to skin side down and continue to cook until browned, about 3 minutes more. Transfer the salmon to a plate to rest while assembling the salad.
Divide the butter lettuce between two shallow bowls. Drizzle the lettuces with some of the dressing. Scatter the radishes and cherries over the lettuces, then place a salmon filet in the center of each plate. Serve immediately.
Sour Cherry Vodka Tonic
Makes one cocktail
Last summer, I was introduced to a type of cocktail called a "shrub". Shrubs are made with vinegar and fruit juice, and they've been around since Colonial times. They made a bit of a resurgence in recent years, I think because of the rise in using vinegar for holistic health purposes. I mean, if drinking a tablespoon of vinegar is supposed to make you healthier, then why drink it straight when you can make it into a tasty cocktail? This cocktail is a great summer drink--very refreshing!
1 part pickled cherry pickling liquid
1 part vodka
4 parts tonic water
ice
pickled cherries to garnish.
Mix the pickling liquid and vodka in a glass. Add the ice, pour in the tonic water, and garnish with pickled cherries. Serve.
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