Sick of Your Cherries Sitting in the Back of the 'Fridge? Of Course You Are

Old cherries make great leftovers: who knew? But leftover what, for goodness sakes?

Rainier cherries make a terrific bruschetta topping–yeah, I wondered what the hell I was reading as well. I’d opened the door to the ‘fridge and saw desiccated cherries that had cost me $3.99 a pound, and thought, I can’t throw these out. Cherry flesh gets dry, but wow, like some crazy tofu fruit, they absorb flavor & burst with life easily with marinating.

I was full of pride as I tucked the results in the ‘fridge so I could reheat the next day. I’d walked into the kitchen this morning and told Curvymama so. She said you gotta photograph that and blog it. So, without further ado…

It turns out that I have been trapped in front of the television watching the Olympics trying to eat my way through the ‘fridge because I’m off to Montreal for a 40th birthday party. The Olympics completely shut me down for two weeks of incredible sport, and my eating tends to get elaborate, because between commercials, I begin reviewing every detail in my larder.

I had some old red spring onions, a little sharp and sticky garlic that was kicking with heat, Meyer lemons from my sister’s tree, and a little of the great American California-based Stonehouse Olive Oil. Well, the stunning result is this cornucopia of subtle flavor. None of the cherry sweetness came out. The purple basil and the other “Italian” flavors make the cherries more pliable.

Purple Basil has its Uses

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There was nuance and fragrance and a simple, delicious eating experience. With some slices of fleshy, pulpy mozzarella, you will completely shock your guests.

This recipe is definitely one of those, “Can you guess what this is made out of” dishes that will get everyone talking.

Cherry Bruschetta

Ingredients

Sliced (1/2″ thick) small baguette-style bread

1 T olive oil, divided

1 1/2 c pitted Northwest fresh sweet cherries, coarsely chopped

2 T finely chopped baby red spring onions

2 T Meyer Lemon juice

1 t grated Meyer Lemon peel

1 t garlic, minced

1/4 t ground black pepper

1/2 t finely ground salt

2 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese

1 T thinly sliced fresh purple basil

Instructions

Drizzle slices with olive oil. Toast one side of baguette slices in your bog-standard, home toaster over to the brown color you most prefer. Combine cherries, pepper, baby red spring onions, lemon juice and peel, salt, and remaining olive oil; mix well.

OK, yes, Pinot Gris Goes Nicely With Them

Top each slice of baguette with a thin slice of fresh mozzarella cheese or just plate with mozzarella on the sides. Take a heaping tablespoon of cherry mixture and sliced basil and toast for another few moments until warmed through.

It will not matter that the mixture stays overnight in the ‘fridge. It will reheat beautifully the next evening. In fact, I’d argue that all the flavors combine nicely after a night of melding.

Enjoy this peculiar find with gusto!