07/02/2007

Record-Eagle/Tyler Sipe
Second-year culinary student Nancy Pishney of Traverse City and instructor and executive chef Bob Rodriguez prepare pasta primavera with chicken and Alfredo sauce at the Great Lakes Culinary Institute at Northwestern Michigan College. Pishney and dozens of other culinary students will be preparing various cherry dishes for the upcoming National Cherry Festival.

Sweet And Savory Cherries

Traverse City's favorite fruit makes for D'Vine dishes

By CYMBRE FOSTER
Special to the Record-Eagle

Record-Eagle/Tyler Sipe
Plenty of cherries, including dried, will be used by students enrolled in the Great Lakes Culinary Institute at Northwestern Michigan College in the preparation for the National Cherry Festival.

Whether you like them slightly sweetened, paired with a buttery pastry or chopped into a savory chutney, the cherry is a versatile powerhouse in the kitchen.

Now is the time to celebrate this tiny tart fruit, grown on hundreds of northern Michigan acres, by sampling the array of cherry culinary delights that will be available during the upcoming National Cherry Festival.

"Our goal is to expand the use of cherries whether they are used dried, as a concentrate or fresh,” said festival spokesperson Susan Wilcox Olson.

A week of cherry chomping kicks off Sunday with the second annual Cherries D'Vine from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. This epicurean event not only features cherries, but regionally grown grapes as well.

Cherry creations from starters and entrees to desserts will be paired with award-winning wines from both the Leelanau and Old Mission peninsulas.

The event will benefit the student scholarship fund earmarked for the Great Lakes Culinary Institute at Northwestern Michigan College.

"Fred Laughlin creates the recipes for this event and he's using all locally produced products,” said Wilcox Olson.

"Cherries are adaptable to both savory foods and desserts,” said Laughlin, director of the Culinary Institute. "They have a lot of cross utilization.”

The event will feature favorites from last year along with new recipes, said Laughlin.

In addition, more than 50 locally produced wines will be represented, from Pinot Noirs and Pinot Grigios to Rieslings and Merlots.

For $25 a person, attendees can sample goodies like grilled leg of lamb marinated in local maple syrup and wine topped with cherry chutney or a chilly cherry and beet gazpacho.

Festival goers also will have the opportunity to share their favorite recipes in two recipe contest events on Thursday, July 12.

The Sweet Treats Cherry Recipe Contest runs from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Participants can bring their favorite cherry sweet treats to the festival recipe judges, who will be looking at the overall appearance, creativity and originality.

The smell of grilling salmon, burgers and ribs will be wafting across the Open Space when the first Fire and Smoke by the Bay grilling contest kicks off that day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This contest will pit 20 backyard barbecuers who will enhance the meats with their favorite cherry recipes.

"This would be the time for them to show off their favorite homemade cherry barbecue recipe, for instance,” said Wilcox Olson.

The recently refurbished City Opera House will be the setting for the Cherries Grand Buffet and a Slice of Broadway showcasing the culinary and catering professionals at the Grand Traverse Pie Company on Friday, July 13. There will be two seatings for the luncheon featuring a 30-minute musical stage show presented by the Old Town Playhouse performers.

"Cherries will be tucked into everything you can imagine, from salads to entrees,” said Wilcox Olson.

Very cherry choices include cherry-filled wraps, cherry chicken soup, stacked cherry infused deli sandwiches, coleslaw tossed with Grand Traverse Pie's cherry vinaigrette and a cherry potato salad.

Sweet treats include cherry pie, cherry cheesecake and ice cream and cherry pie smoothies.

Those who have a palate for a more traditional cherry recipe can sign up for any number of cherry pie eating contests going on all week. Winners go home with a Grand Traverse Pie Company Old Mission Cherry Cobbler pie.

They also can cool off with some ice cream at one of two old-fashioned Cherry Ice Cream Socials Wednesday or Saturday, July 11 or 14.

For more information about any of these events, call the Festival office at 947-4230 or visit www.cherryfestival.org. Registration for the recipe contest is due Friday.

The National Cherry Festival runs July 7 through 14.

These recipes are from the Cherries D'Vine event:

Grilled Leg of Lamb with Maple, Wine, & Cherry Chutney

Marinade:

• 2/3 c. balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 c. vegetable oil
• 1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 c. maple syrup
• 1 c. Black Star Farms Red House Red
• 2 T. garlic, minced
• 1/2 t. Tabasco sauce (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Optional herbs for additional flavor:

• 1 T. fresh thyme
• 1 T. fresh rosemary
• 1 lamb leg, boned
• Cherry Chutney

Combine vinegar, oil, Worcestershire sauce, syrup, wine, garlic and Tabasco sauce if using. Season to taste and add optional herbs if using.

Trim and butterfly the leg of lamb or have your butcher do it.

Cover with marinade and let rest for a least two hours, but not more than eight. Turn the leg periodically to coat evenly.

Grill on medium heat until internal temperature of 140¨° (medium rare). Top with cherry chutney.

Cherry and Beet Gazpacho

• 5 medium raw beets
• 2 lbs. sweet cherries, pitted
• 3 Roma tomatoes
• 1 European cucumber
• 1/2 medium-size red onion
• 1/2 medium-size yellow onion
• 8 oz. tomato juice
• 1/2 c. red wine vinegar
• 6 oz. cherry juice concentrate
• 8 oz. half and half
• 1 T. fresh thyme
• 1/2 t. Tabasco sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the beets until tender. Set aside to cool.

Coarsely chop the remaining vegetables and the cherries. Reserve the half and half.

Puree the beets and the other ingredients in a food processor. Do this in batches if necessary. Combine the pureed ingredients in a large bowl and stir in the half and half. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Cool and serve.

— Great Lakes Culinary Institute student Braden Koser, inspired by Chef Guillaume Hazael-Massieux of La Bécasse Restaurant, Maple City

Michigan Cherry Salmon

• 6 5-oz. salmon fillet portions
• 1 c. dry tart cherries, reconstituted in cherry juice
• Black pepper, freshly cracked (to taste)
• 1/2 c. cherry glaze (see recipe below)
• 2 oz. butter
• 2 oz. tarragon-infused olive oil
• Kosher salt (to taste)

Clean and oil the grate on a barbecue grill. Preheat grill on highest setting.

Rub the salmon with tarragon oil. Season with salt and cracked black pepper. Place the salmon on the grate and turn down the flame to the medium setting. Grill for approximately 5 minutes on each side.

For service, place 1 c. of cooked rice, just offset from the middle of each plate. Next, fan 4 asparagus spears to lean on the rice from the center of the plate. Lean a salmon fillet at the base of the asparagus to hold them in place. Drizzle the salmon with the cherry glaze and with reconstituted cherries. Place a sprig of mint and a Bing cherry as a plate garnish. Serve with herbed wild rice pilaf and asparagus. Serves six.

Note: Most any herb-infused oil can be substituted for this recipe or you can use plain oil.

Cherry Glaze

• 2 oz. Black Star Farms Serius Cherry liqueur
• 1/2 c. simple syrup
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 c. cherry juice
• 1/2 t. vanilla

Combine cherry juice and cherry liqueur in a small stainless steel saucepan and reduce to liquid volume of 1/2 cup. Next, combine remaining ingredients in a saucepan with the reduction. Bring all ingredients to a quick boil, reduce temperature and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick.

Cool to room temperature and then chill. Serves six.