Cherries

Fill a bowl with summer cherries and just try to resist them. Relax—giving into temptation is good for you. Cherries are high in vitamin C, fiber and disease-fighting antioxidants. But the best excuse to indulge to your heart’s content is this: Before long, they’ll be gone—cherries are hard to find (and expensive!) out of season.

All the more reason to use them lavishly in summer meals. Heart-shaped, purplish Bing and Lambert cherries are sweet varieties you’re most likely to find in supermarkets, with blush-tinged Rainiers and Royal Anns not far behind. Sour Montmorency and Morello cherries are harder to come by, but their tart, firm flesh makes them a sought-after commodity among bakers and jam-makers. And don’t forget to check out farmers’ markets and roadside stands for lesser-known varieties that are bursting with local flavor.

Halved or diced, cherries lend sweet, chewy substance to Spinach-Quinoa Salad or Cherry–Goat Cheese Bruschetta. Cherry Clafouti is a French classic, while a Three-Cherry Crumble gives you cherry pie goodness without the hassle of rolling out a crust. And for divine decadence, why not whip up a batch of Chocolate-Cherry Breakfast Bread? We bet you won’t be able to limit yourself to just one of those treats, either!

SPINACH-QUINOA SALAD WITH CHERRIES AND ALMONDS
Serves 6

This salad is perfect for picnics because it’s filling and won’t get soggy. It also works well with couscous or bulgur.

1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 cups spinach leaves
2 cups fresh cherries, pitted and halved, or 1 cup dried cherries, chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/3-inch dice (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 small red onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
3 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tsp.)

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spread almonds on baking sheet, and toast 7 to 10 minutes, shaking pan occasionally, or until golden brown. Cool.
2. Bring 3 cups salted water to a boil in pot over medium-high heat. Stir in quinoa. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes, or until all liquid has been absorbed.
3. Remove from heat and cool, covered, in pot.
4. Lay 5 or 6 spinach leaves flat on top of one another on cutting board. Roll tightly into cylinder, then slice into slivers. Repeat with remaining spinach.
5. Toss together quinoa, almonds, spinach, cherries, cucumber, chickpeas and red onion in large serving bowl. Whisk together yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic in small bowl. Pour over salad, and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill 30 minutes to allow flavors to develop, then serve.

PER SERVING: 352 CAL; 11G PROT; 12.5G TOTAL FAT (1.5G SAT. FAT); 52G CARB; 1MG CHOL; 492MG SOD; 8G FIBER; 10G SUGARS

THREE-CHERRY CRUMBLE
Serves 8 - Vegan

Take cherry flavor to the max with this healthy crumble. The filling is sweetened with cherry juice and dried cherries, while the topping is made with whole-wheat pastry flour. (Note: If you want to use tart cherries in this recipe, add 1⁄2 cup brown rice syrup to the filling ingredients.)

Three-Cherry Filling
3 cups fresh or frozen pitted cherries
1 cup cherry juice, pomegranate juice or cranberry juice
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup cornstarch or arrowroot powder

Sesame Seed Topping
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown rice syrup
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. To make Three-Cherry Filling: Combine fresh cherries, juice and dried cherries in large nonreactive saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in cornstarch. Spoon into 9x9-inch baking dish.
3. To make Sesame Seed Topping: Stir together flour and sesame seeds in large bowl. Whisk together vegetable oil, rice syrup and vanilla in small bowl. Stir oil mixture into flour mixture until it clumps together.
4. Crumble topping over cherry filling. Bake 45 minutes, or until topping is golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

PER SERVING: 375 CAL; 4G PROT; 15.5G TOTAL FAT (2G SAT. FAT); 54G CARB; 0MG CHOL; 47MG SOD; 5G FIBER; 25G SUGARS

CHERRY–GOAT CHEESE BRUSCHETTA
Serves 8 - 30 minutes or fewer

Cherries give tangy goat cheese a touch of summer sweetness in this colorful bruschetta. If you can’t find shelled unsalted pistachios, use chopped almonds or hazelnuts.

24 thin baguette slices
2 Tbs. olive oil
4 oz. fresh goat cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups pitted, chopped fresh cherries
1/2 cup shelled unsalted pistachios
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to broil. Place baguette slices on baking sheet, and broil 2 to 3 minutes, or until one side is toasted. Place slices toasted side down on serving platter, brush with olive oil, then spread with thin layer of cheese.
2. Stir together cherries, pistachios and black pepper. Scoop 1 heaping tablespoon cherry mixture onto each goat cheese toast. Serve immediately.

PER SERVING: 221 CAL; 7G PROT; 12G TOTAL FAT (3G SAT. FAT); 23G CARB; 7MG CHOL; 180MG SOD; 3G FIBER; 4G SUGARS

MINI CHERRY CLAFOUTIS
Serves 12

Clafouti, a rustic French dessert, gets a chic twist with these individual versions made in muffin tins. This is also a great all-purpose recipe for other fresh fruit such as apricots, apples, peaches, pears or berries.

2 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup ground almonds or almond flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup low-fat milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. almond extract
2 cups pitted fresh or frozen cherries, thawed and drained
confectioners’ sugar, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Coat 12 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Whisk together eggs and sugar in bowl. Add ground almonds and flour, and whisk until smooth. Gradually add milk, whisking constantly, until smooth batter forms. Stir in vanilla and almond extracts. Transfer batter to 4-cup measuring cup or pitcher.
3. Divide cherries among prepared muffin cups (about 5 cherries per cup). Pour batter into each cup. Bake 20 minutes, or until clafoutis puff up and brown around sides. Cool completely.
4. Unmold clafoutis with thin spatula or two soup spoons. To warm before serving: Preheat oven to 250F. Place clafoutis on baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Cover with second sheet of foil, and warm 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to serving plates and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.

PER SERVING: 96 CAL; 3G PROT; 2.5G TOTAL FAT (0.5G SAT. FAT); 16G CARB; 36MG CHOL; 23MG SOD; 1G FIBER; 13G SUGARS

CHOCOLATE-CHERRY BREAKFAST BREAD
Makes 16 rolls

Even our testers who said they don’t like the classic chocolate-cherry combo reached for seconds of these! For a festive brunch or a lazy Sunday breakfast, start a day ahead so you can serve the rolls right from the oven.

1 0.25-oz. pkg. yeast
1/3 cup plus 1 Tbs. sugar
2 1/3 cups all-purpose or bread flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped, or 1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen pitted cherries, drained, or 1 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped

1. Dissolve yeast and 1 Tbs. sugar in 1 cup warm water. Let stand 5 minutes, or until water is cloudy and smells yeasty.
2. Sift remaining sugar, flour, cocoa and salt in large mixing bowl. Add water and yeast to flour mixture, and stir with wooden spoon or spatula until smooth dough forms. Fold in butter. Transfer dough to well-floured work surface, and knead 7 to 10 minutes, or process 3 minutes in food processor, or until dough is smooth and elastic and no longer sticks to your hands.
3. Pat dough into 10-inch square. Place chocolate pieces and cherries in center of square, then fold in sides like an envelope. Press edges to seal. Gently knead dough 10 to 12 times, or until chocolate and cherries are evenly distributed throughout. Transfer to oiled bowl, cover with clean dishtowel, and let rise 1 1/2 hours in warm place.
4. Punch down dough. Cover and store in refrigerator overnight, if desired, or place on well-floured work surface. Roll into thick log, then cut log into 16 equal rounds. Roll each round into a tight ball, and place on baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray. Repeat with remaining dough. Set baking sheet in warm place, and let rolls rise 30 to 45 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 375F. Bake rolls 20 to 25 minutes, or until tops appear dry and centers spring back when touched. Cool 15 minutes before serving.

PER SERVING: 141 CAL; 3G PROT; 3.5G TOTAL FAT (2G SAT. FAT); 26G CARB; 4MG CHOL; 147MG SOD; 1G FIBER; 11G SUGARS