Three cheers for cherries
A trio of recipes show off summer’s favorite fruit
When I was a child, my favorite flavor was red. If pressed to be specific, I always said my favorite was cherry. When I became a man I put away childish things, but I still love cherries. At this time of year, when they are so abundant, I can never quite get the stains of cherry juice off my fingers.
Cherries are sweet, of course, and they make basically any dessert better. But they also can be part of savory dishes, too — they add a hint of cherry magic that accentuates the savoriness of the other ingredients. And they are reason enough to order an old fashioned, a Manhattan or an amaretto sour.
So with red-stained hands, I raised a Manhattan to toast cherries, the most glorious of summer glories. And then I made a bunch of dishes that have cherries in them.
I began with Cherry Chipotle Chili, and not entirely because
of the alliteration. I was instantly intrigued by the addition of sweet cherries to the spice and the smokiness of the chipotle peppers. I thought the classic combination of sweetness, smoke and heat — think of a spicy barbecue with a sweet, tomato-based sauce — might be good.
I had no idea. This may be my new favorite way to make chili.
I stayed in the savory realm with my second dish, Grilled Pork Tenderloin With Cherry Salsa. Pork and cherries are a natural combination, and I liked the fact that the cherries would come in the form of a chunky sauce.
I was also attracted to the recipe by the fact that the tenderloin is marinated briefly before grilling. Marinating a tenderloin is never necessary, but it doesn’t hurt. This marinade has the bite of lime juice mixed with shallots, along with plenty of cilantro.
My last dish was cherries jubilee. Of course it was cherries jubilee. You can’t write about cooking with cherries unless you make cherries jubilee. Everybody loves cherries jubilee.
And to the best of my recollection, I had never actually had cherries jubilee before. And neither had the people who tasted it. It must be one of those hugely popular dishes that no one has eaten since 1979.
Now that I’ve made it, I don’t understand why it has disappeared from menus. It’s easy to make, it tastes great and it catches on fire. What’s not to love?
Plus, it has ice cream.
CHERRY CHIPOTLE CHILI Yield: 6 servings
2 tablespoons olive oil 1 pound lean ground turkey
¾ teaspoon salt, preferably kosher
¼ teaspoon black pepper 2 medium carrots, diced 1 medium yellow onion, diced 1 tablespoon chopped garlic 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes 2 cups pitted black cherries 2 canned chipotle peppers, diced, plus sauce 2 bay leaves 1 (15-ounce) can white
beans, such as cannellini or navy, rinsed and drained ¼ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt, optional
Chopped fresh cilantro, optional
In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook turkey with salt and pepper, stirring, until browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Add carrots, onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in chili powder. Add tomatoes, cherries, chipotle peppers, bay leaves and 1 cup water; bring to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer; cook, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes. Add beans; cook 2 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Divide chili among 6 bowls. Top each with 1 tablespoon yogurt and garnish with cilantro, if desired, before serving.
This chili is especially good the next day, after the cherries’ assertive sweetness has had time to blend with the other flavors.
PER SERVING: 313 calories; 11 g fat; 2 g saturated fat; 53 mg cholesterol; 22 g protein; 30 g carbohydrate; 13 g sugar; 7 g fiber; 641 mg sodium; 110 mg calcium — Adapted from Epicurious
GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH CHERRY SALSA Yield: 6 servings
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, divided
½ cup minced shallots, divided
6 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
¼ cup vegetable oil 2 pork tenderloins about 2½ total pounds
½ pound fresh cherries, stemmed, pitted and halved
1 fresh Fresno chile, red jalapeño or Holland chile, or ½ green jalapeño, thinly sliced crosswise
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper
Note: Both the marinade and the salsa can be made 1 day in advance. Do not marinate the meat until 15 minutes before cooking.
Prepare a grill to medium-high heat. Combine ½ cup of the cilantro, ¼ cup of the minced shallots, 4 tablespoons of the lime juice and the vegetable oil in a resealable plastic bag. Add pork; seal bag and turn to coat. Marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes, turning occasionally.
Meanwhile, combine remaining ½ cup cilantro, remaining ¼ cup shallots, remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice, cherries, chile and olive oil in a medium bowl. Season salsa lightly with salt and pepper and set aside to let flavors meld.
Remove tenderloins from marinade and season generously with salt and pepper. Grill, turning frequently, until a thermometer inserted into meat registers 145 degrees, about 15 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes. Cut into thin slices and serve with salsa.
PER SERVING: 361 calories; 18 g fat; 4 g saturated fat; 123 mg cholesterol; 40 g protein; 10 g carbohydrate; 6 g sugar; 1 g fiber; 127 mg sodium; 69 mg calcium — Recipe from Bon Appétit
CHERRIES JUBILEE Yield: 4 servings
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups fresh cherries, pitted
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ vanilla bean, sliced lengthwise and scraped Pinch of salt
¼ cup brandy or kirsch Juice from
¼ orange Zest from ½ orange
1 pint vanilla ice cream
In a skillet over medium-high heat, add butter. Once bubbling, add cherries, sugar, the seeds from the scraped vanilla bean and salt. Cook until the sugar has dissolved, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Remove from heat, add brandy and carefully ignite. Extinguish flames by squeezing the juice of ¼ orange into the pan. Add the zest, and set aside.
Scoop ice cream into serving bowls. Pour cherries over ice cream and serve immediately.
PER SERVING: 292 calories; 13 g fat; 8 g saturated fat; 44 mg cholesterol; 3 g protein; 41 g carbohydrate; 37 g sugar; 2 g fiber; 635 mg sodium; 97 mg calcium