In 1912 thousands of cherry trees were given as a gift from the people of Tokyo to the US and planted around the Jefferson Memorial in Washington DC. Now year after year thousands of visitors make a pilgrimage to experience the cherry blossom festival to enjoy the beauty of white and pink flowering cherry trees. Michigan claims to be the cherry capitol of the world with their endless cherry trees and a plentiful harvest.
(Bing and sour cherries)
The Stones
Cherries are stone fruits related to plums and peaches. Cherries have been enjoyed since the stone ages evidence by pits that were found in caves where people lived. Later when the Romans conquered various European countries they carried them along (nice of them). Generally we’re speaking about sweet cherries such as Bing and King and sour cherries.
And even good for you
Kirsch is not a cherry medicine but it settles your stomach after a heavy meal in the form of an alcoholic digestive.
In addition to having a high vitamin C content the fruit is also high in antioxidants that help to fight cancer and heart disease.
(Farmers market salad with cherries and paper thin cured Wagyu beef slices)
Cherry Harvest
Cherries are harvested ripe, often by shaking trees and caught by tarps which are laid out on the ground under the tree. This gives cherries are short shelf life compared to other fruits, they keep just a few days when refrigerated. But Don’t Ask Too Much
(berry lady showing off here treasures)
A lady who picks fruits and vegetables at their peak of maturity for my restaurant told me her experience with another chef “and he wants to know exactly where I got my cherries from!” she doesn’t like to reveal her picking grounds so it upset her and took her cherries and ran out of the restaurant. - “I won’t give him any fruit anymore.” DO NOT upset the cherry lady.If you have an abundance of cherries here is a welcome recipe for overly ripe cherries or lightly bruised cherries is Cherry gazpacho.
(King salmon with vegetable cake and endive with gazpacho dressing)
Cherry Gazpacho
(recipe yields 4-5 cups of soup, plenty for four appetizer portions)
1 onion
1 clove garlic
1 cup cherries, seeds removed
1 tomato
1 cucumber, peeled and seeds removed
1 red pepper, seeds removed
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
salt such as Baline (to taste)
4 pinches cayenne
1. Peel onion and garlic then cut (1/8-inch thick). Boil water in a pot (1- quart sized) then cook cut onions and garlic (30 seconds) then pour into a strainer. Rinse with cold water to cool.
2. Cut tomato, cucumber, red pepper into small pieces then combine with cherries cooked onions and garlic.
3. Combine cut vegetables with vinegar, honey, salt and cayenne in a kitchen blender then process (3-6 minutes or until pureed smoothly).
4. Pour pureed vegetable mixture into a strainer (push mixture with a small soup ladle through strainer).
Chef’s tip: sprinkle extra virgin olive oil over the soup and dehydrated vegetables such as corn or other vegetables (commonly available in supermarkets) before serving.
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Cherry fun fact: it takes about 250 cherries to make a cherry pie which means an adult cherry tree could produce enough for about 28 pies.
