CHERRY
There are three different kinds of cherries available in the fruit share. The best cherries for fresh eating are the sweet cherries. There are the typical dark sweet cherries as well as white sweet cherries. They have slightly different flavor (and the white ones won't stain like the dark ones do). There are also tart cherries. These are the cherries that are best for juicing or making pies, but when eaten fresh they will make your lips pucker!
STORAGE: Store cherries in your refrigerator to make them last. Do NOT store on your counter! They will be sweeter the sooner you eat them, though. If you have a cherry pitter, or you want to pit them by hand, then store them in a freezer bag and save for later.
QUICK IDEAS: add to your favorite breakfast, or your favorite adult beverage; pit them and add to ice cream
Stone Fruit Pie with Almond Streusel
from Food & Wine July 2012
Dough:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
5 tablespoons ice water
Streusel:
1/2 cup light brown sugar
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons slivered almonds
6 tablespoons rolled oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Filling:
2 1/4 pounds assorted stone fruits, such as apricots, cherries, peaches, and plums, pitted and sliced 1/3 inch thick, peaches and plums peeled first
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup cornstarch
vanilla ice cream, for serving
Directions:
1) Make the dough: in a food processor, combine the flour with the sugar, salt, and baking powder and pulse to blend. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Sprinkle the ice water over the mixture and pulse a few times, just until a dough starts to form. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and gently knead it a few times. Pat the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until chilled and firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.
2) Meanwhile, make the streusel: in a bowl, combine the brown sugar with the flour, almonds, oats, cinnamon and salt. Add the butter and with a pastry cutter or your hands, cut or rub the butter into the mixture evenly. Refrigerate the streusel.
3) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to a 14-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Fold the dough in half and transfer it to a 9-inch glass pie plate. Unfold the dough and gently press it into the plate. Trim the overhanging dough to 1/2 inch and fold it under itself; crimp decoratively. Freeze the pie shell for 10 minutes.
4) Make the filling: In a large bowl, toss the sliced fruit with the sugar and lemon juice and let stand for 5 minutes to let the sugar dissolve. Stir in the cornstarch. Scrape the fruit into the pie shell in an even layer. Scatter the streusel evenly on top of the fruit.
5) Bake the pie in the lower third of the oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the fruit starts to bubble around the sides. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Cut into wedges and serve with vanilla ice cream.