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07/09/2007
Cherries jubileeFarmers bring cherries from field to kitchen
After working from dawn to dusk to grow and harvest cherries, you might think that coming into the kitchen and cooking with them would be the last thing a farmer would want to do. That couldn't be further from the truth. Once the harvest is in, most cherry-farming families take full advantage of the fruit they grow, chopping and stirring cherries into just about everything, from breakfast cereal and baked goods to appetizers and main dishes. They eat them not only because they're delicious, but for the health benefits. Ongoing research has identified compounds with antioxidant properties in tart cherries, which may help fight cancer and heart disease. Research also has identified anti-inflammatory properties. Even without the medical health benefits, tart cherries are good for you. With just 70 calories in 2/3 of a cup, they're chock-full of vitamin C, A, potassium and fiber. "I use them all the time,” said Juanita Send, who with husband Jeff grows cherries on hundreds of acres in Leelanau County. "Anything that calls for a raisin you can substitute a dried cherry, whether it's in muffins, cakes or cookies.” Send, who is an event coordinator on the National Cherry Festival's Cherry Promotion Committee this year, is always looking for new ways to cook with the fruit that is not only versatile, but this year, plentiful. "I have a ton of recipe books and I'm always experimenting,” she said. "The fun part is that cherries come in so many different forms.” Send takes full advantage of the crop, stirring up drinks, putting together pies and combining them with chocolate any way she can think of. One of her favorite ways to use tart cherries is in salsa. "Cherry salsa is great, and it's something I make a lot of,” she said. Her husband's favorite pie is a combination of dried cherries and apples. Send likes to drizzle cherry concentrate into a glass of cold lemonade for a refreshing and healthy drink. Send said she also enjoys eating sweet cherries fresh from the tree — and partially frozen. "Freeze sweets with the pit and then partially thaw them, they're really good eaten that way,” she said. She also recalls a year that there weren't many cherries. Her family missed eating them. "In 2002, when we didn't have any fruit (caused by an unexpected freeze) my husband claims that was his achiest winter ever,” she said. Cindy Pleva-Weber, who was the National Cherry Queen 1987-88, also uses cherries regularly in the kitchen. "My children love dried cherries in cookies, oatmeal or just out of the dish,” she said. "Once you have a dried cherry, there's no going back to a raisin. As a matter of fact, you can count the number of raisins my children have had on one hand.” Pleva-Weber said one of her family's favorite cherry recipes is Cherry Angel Desser, a summery dish that includes both cherry gelatin and cherry pie filling. Judy LaCross is no stranger to the cherry industry. She not only works on the family cherry farm near Cedar, but is a longtime Cherry Festival volunteer and cherry industry liaison, serving on the Board of Governors. When it comes to cooking with the tiny fruit, LaCross likes to keep it simple. "I'm not a fancy cook ... I believe in quick, easy and nutritious,” LaCross said. "And with all the health benefits we now know about cherries, our family tries to incorporate something cherry every day, whether it's dried cherries on cereal or cherry concentrate in lemonade.” The following is a list of her quick and simple summer cherry ideas: • Dried cherries on cereal, oatmeal or any cooked cereals, or stirred into yogurt • Cherry juice concentrate (1/3 c.) mixed with frozen lemon- or lime-aid juice, and 5-6 cans water to taste (can add a few tablespoons sugar or any sweetener if too tart). Or try adding Sprite, Squirt or soda for a more festive punch. Garnish with fresh mint if available. The cherry concentrate is available at Meijer's produce area or at Leelanau Fruit, Suttons Bay. • Cherry pie filling in a graham cracker pie crust, or frozen pastry crust baked, and topped with Cool Whip. • Dried cherries on any salad, especially with a vinaigrette dressing. • Cherry Smoothie: 2 c. frozen tarts, or use fresh tarts or sweets and add some ice cubes, 1 ripe banana, 1 c. any juice (cherry, apple, white grape, etc). Blend in blender until smooth. Can add dollops of yogurt for more nutrition. Serve immediately. Quick 'n' Cherry Chicken
Melt margarine in skillet. Cook breasts on each side to brown, add onion and cook 10 minutes or until chicken is tender and cooked through. Be careful not to scorch. Remove from skillet and keep warm. Add jam and vinegar to skillet, cook slowly and stir. Boil 1-2 minutes. Slowly add cream, stirring constantly on medium heat until hot but not boiling. Add dried cherries. Plate up the chicken with wild or brown rice and green veggies (LaCross likes pea pods or fresh green beans). Drizzle the sauce over the rice and chicken, dividing it to cover all servings (about 3-4). Serve with mixed greens and vinaigrette dressing, sprinkled with feta cheese and dried cherries. — Judy LaCross Cherry Cashew Cookies
In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla. Mix with electric mixer on medium speed until thoroughly mixed. Combine flour and baking soda; gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture. Stir in vanilla milk chips, dried cherries and cashews. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake in a preheated 375° oven 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool on wire racks; store in a tightly covered container. Makes 4&1/2 dozen cookies. Note: You may also substitute regular chocolate chips for vanilla chips/white chocolate. — Juanita Send Cherry Angel DessertLayer 1:
Layer 2:
Layer 3:
Layer 4:
Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Add 1 c. cold water. Cool until slightly congealed. Fold in cherry pie filling, pineapple and angel food cake. Pour into 13-by-9-inch pan. This is Layer 1. Place in refrigerator between layers if possible to allow each one to set up. Layer 2: Prepare pudding with milk. Pour on top of cherry layer. Layer 3: Top with whipped topping Layer 4: Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Prepare several hours or day ahead of serving. Refrigerate. Serves 15. (Note: Use light versions of products to cut calories.) — Cindy Pleva-Weber Apple Pie with Dried Cherries
Heat oven to 425°. On a lightly floured surface, roll out half the dough to a 12-inch circle. Line 9-inch pie plate with dough. Mix sugar, cherries, flour, cinnamon and lemon juice in a large bowl. Add apples and toss gently to mix and coat. Spread in pie plate, tucking them to fit. Scrape any juices in bowl over apples; dot with butter. Roll out other half of dough and place on top of apples. Crimp edges. Brush top crust with milk; sprinkle with sugar. Cut several slits in crust. Place on a foil-lined cookie sheet and bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350° and bake 50 to 60 minutes longer until crust is golden brown and apples are tender when pierced through a slit. — Juanita Send Cherry Salsa
Coarsely chop frozen tart cherries. Let cherries thaw and drain, reserving 1 T. cherry juice. When cherries are thawed, combine drained cherries, dried cherries, onion, jalapenos, garlic and cilantro in a medium saucepan. Mix well. Combine reserved cherry juice and cornstarch in a small bowl; mix until smooth. Stir into cherry mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-high heat until mixture is thick. Let cool. Serve with tortilla chips and/or cooked chicken or pork. Makes about one cup. — Juanita Send
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