Not just the cherry on top

Image: Marion van Dijk
Nelson mail

Summer time in Nelson is not complete without street vendors selling boxes of cherries through the main streets. Somehow, cherries and summer go hand in hand.

How many of you have a cherry tree in your garden and have watched the cherries grow, from blossom to reddening fruit, only to one day find that every single cherry is gone from the tree? How do the birds know exactly what moment to pounce? No wonder the cherry orchards of Marlborough are dressed in netting to keep their crop safe.

Speaking of those cherry orchards, on a recent trip to Marlborough I stopped at a roadside stall and bought a $10 box of cherries. I don't believe I have ever eaten cherries that tasted so fabulous. Deep purple, fat, sweet and succulent, they were divine all by themselves, with no adornment.

Always look for plump, smooth, shiny, blemish-free fruit, with green or supple stalks. Leave the stalks on the cherries, as they help keep them fresh. Don't wash the cherries until you are ready to use them, and store them in the refrigerator in a container where they are not piled up, as they can bruise easily.

Not only do they taste great, but cherries are also good for our health and an excellent source of antioxidants. Their deep red colour comes from anthocyanins (a group of antioxidants). Recent research confirms folklore that says cherries ease the pain of gout and arthritis as well as having other health-related qualities. Cherries contain calcium, potassium and fibre, as well as being one of the few food sources of melatonin, a natural sleep enhancer.

Cherries are naturally either sweet or sour. Normally, the cherries that we buy are the sweet kind, with a number of varieties available in the local markets - bing, dawson and sweetheart are common varieties. Sour cherries are usually smaller than sweet cherries and have a more intense flavour, and are used for baking.

Morello is the variety available locally, even though they are not as readily available as a commercial crop. Look for morello cherries at the Saturday market, sold by Jeff Norrish from Motueka Valley Organic Produce, West Bank Road, Motueka (motvlyorganics@slingshot.co.nz).

Cherries are usually associated with desserts, such as tarts or clafouti, if they ever make it to the cooking pot, but they are equally good as the basis for sauces to accompany meat. Cherries can also be added to salads. Another great way to try them is raw, and in dressings, with meat.

Try the following recipe to add variety to cold meat platters, and the cherry granita to accompany those long summer days. A granita is a semi-frozen dessert of sugar, water and flavourings, originally from Sicily.

Another way to use cherries is to make a cherry lemonade as an alternative to traditional lemonade before the cherry crop is done for another year.

Cherry vinaigrette for cold meat

Make a vinaigrette with three parts extra virgin olive oil to one part white balsamic vinegar, some sea salt, some freshly ground black pepper and lots of chopped mint. Add halved pitted cherries just before using. Spoon the vinaigrette over sliced cos lettuce with roasted duck, chicken or ham (with ham, add a teaspoon of good mustard to the dressing).


Cherry vodka granita
Image: Marion van Dijk
Nelson mail
400g sweet cherries
350g sugar
100ml lemon juice
60ml vodka

Put the cherries in a pan with 350ml of water, bring to the boil and mash to release the juices. Turn down the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, mashing occasionally until the fruit is soft and the liquid has reduced by a third. Strain, reserving the juice and discarding the solids.

Meanwhile, make a syrup with the sugar and 400ml of water, heating gently to dissolve, then simmer for 30 minutes until reduced by a third. Cool.

Combine the cherry juice with the sugar syrup and stir in the lemon juice. Pour on to a baking tray about 3cm deep (this quantity will fill about two baking trays). Freeze for about 30 minutes.

Scrape the base and edges into the soft middle, work a little to blend and then freeze again. Repeat the scraping every half-hour until the mixture is firm enough to make a spoonable slush - three to four times should be enough. Add vodka and scrape to blend.

Serve immediately in small bowls.

Cherry lemonade
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
500g of fresh cherries
1 cup of fresh lemon juice
6 cups of cold water

Heat the sugar and first cup of water to dissolve the sugar. Add 1 cup of cherries, bring to the boil and boil until the cherries soften. Set aside and cool. Strain the cooled syrup into a large jug, pressing the cherries to release their juice. Add lemon juice and cold water. Stir in the remaining cherries. Pour over ice and garnish with mint.