Summer Taste With A Cherry On Top

Cherry season in the Pacific Northwest is sweet – and maddeningly short-lived. Thanks to Mother Nature, though, this year’s crop is slated to be plump and plentiful, perfect for making an abundance of classic summertime treats like cherry pies, cobblers and clafoutis. Ripe, raw and red Northwest cherries are juicy little jewels, rich in vitamin C and potassium, and naturally sweet. One cup has nearly 18 grams of sugar – and only about 87 calories. I recently pitted and halved a pound of Northwest cherries the old-fashioned way: with a knife. Luckily, I didn’t draw any blood. But the experience helped me to really understand that old saying; it truly was the pits. I’m told you can remove them with a paper clip. But, after almost an hour of slicing and dicing and gouging, I am putting a cherry pitter on the top of my must-have kitchen-gadget list. I’m sure it will save me time, maybe even some cuts and tears/ Adriana Janovich , SR. More here.

Question: Describe your best dish for using cherries?