As I write, I can hear the faint sound of the cherry canons off in the distance. The farmers around here use them to deter the birds from feasting on their deliciously ripe fruit. I like hearing the canons. They make me think of cherries, cherry pie and the sweetness that summer brings.
Last year a friend of mine gave me several pounds of organic cherries from her farm. She was trying to find a good cherry pie recipe to give to her customers at the farmer's market and asked me to do a little recipe testing for her.
It was the first time I had made a cherry pie, the first time I used a cherry pitter and the first cherry pie I think I really liked. Maybe it was because I had made it from scratch, or perhaps it was because I knew that each cherry had been lovingly grown by my friend. Either way, it was a darn good pie. Below is the recipe that won our taste test.
FRESH CHERRY PIE
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Favorite 9-inch double pie crust (for lattice top).
Filling:
4 Tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
4 cups pitted organic cherries
1/4 teaspoon real almond extract
1/2 teaspoon real vanilla extract
Combine all ingredients and let stand 15 minutes. Pour into pie dish, add lattice top and bake for 50 minutes or until golden brown.
We believe the magic combination of both the almond and the vanilla extract made this recipe stand out from the rest. So yummy!
Happy Cherry Season!
This reminds me of a post I did last year about my neighbor who used to leave a basket of cherries at my door. http://farmhousemusings.blogspot.com/2008/03/french-country-in-city.html Enjoy the season!
ReplyDeleteTrina, I swear I am the color of your sidebar-green with envy!! NW cherries are just the best. Your recipie sounds great! I'm very impressed that you came up with it yourself. I too bought a cherry pitter a couple of years ago- I think they work great. Still messy, but faster.
ReplyDeletejoan
Hi Joan, I have to say that those cherries my friend gave me were amazing. And they were still warm as she had just plucked them from her trees! Wow, huh? Makes me want to have a few fruit trees someday ; )
ReplyDeleteI just read your post about your neighbor. What a sweet story. Isn't it funny how a gesture so simple can extend such overwhelming warmth. I just love that.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing more de-lovely than de-licious cherries, in your hands or in a pie. I have been putting a bunch in a small bag for an afternoon snack these past few weeks, and when I am headed back home in the car on our rural road, I spit the seed out the window like a baseball player with chewing tobacco. I am going to try to make your pie before we leave this weekend...thanks for your awfully kind comments, so glad you had a chance to visit. I felt a kinship here, amongst farmhouse-loving and dwelling souls. Cheers!
ReplyDelete