Recipes

Chocolate-Covered Cherries with Sea Salt

35 min

This recipe uses just four ingredients and can be a fun activity if you're hosting fondue-style or made ahead of time as an indulgent treat. If you love fancy salts, the cherries make the perfect canvas, balancing sweetness and adding crunch. My favorite is the Alderwood Smoked Salt, which adds a hint of campfire flavor and brings the essence of the Pacific Northwest full circle. 

Cold-Brewed Northwest Cherry Tea

10 min

Cherry-infused tea offers a delightful combination of flavors, especially when paired with the slight smokiness of our Northwest Tea Time. The sweetness and tartness of cherries complement the smoothness of the tea, creating a harmonious and refreshing beverage that requires no sugar. The fruit provides natural antioxidants and adds a touch of vibrant color to the tea, enhancing both its taste and visual appeal. It's a delicious way to enjoy the benefits of tea while savoring the unique essence of cherries.

Mahlab Cherry Almond Balls

Mahlab, a spice derived from the pit of the Mediterranean St. Lucie cherry, tastes strongly of cherry and bitter almond, with more elusive floral and vanilla notes. In our search for a cookie that would do justice to this unique flavor, we were thrilled to find these phenomenal cherry almond balls. They're a perfect vehicle for this striking spice.Using ground almonds instead of almond flour is key to these addictive cookies, which were a feature of the holidays during our childhood. The original recipe used candied cherries for the center, but we opted for re-hydrated dried cherries instead this time. The change gives the cookies a fresher, slightly less sweet flavor. Try them out, but be warned: They may become a permanent addition to your holiday baking.

Portuguese Ginjinha

Ginjinha, or Ginja for short, is a liqueur made from an infusion of sour cherries, also called ginja berries. After a friend from Lisbon introduced us to this delicious concoction, we waited almost a year Pacific Northwest cherries to be in season so we could try to make our own. Our recipe for this liqueur is spiced with Cassia Stick Cinnamon and Cloves to add a spicy, aromatic bite.Traditionally served in shot glasses for a slow sip with a tart cherry garnish, Ginjinha is also a great ingredient in other cocktails. Try using some in a batch of sangria, or add a bit to your Manhattan for a sweet and spicy twist. As soon as we tried it, Ginjinha quickly became a bar cart staple for its versatility and unique flavor.

Orange, Cinnamon and Cranberry Tart

Spring 2020. I was craving pie. Sadly, I had no flour and no fresh fruit, aside from an old orange. Thus, the Cranberry and Orange Tart was born out of pure necessity. Dried cranberries were used here, but dried tart cherries can easily be substituted. For this, the crust is made out of saltines, and so the sweet-tart-salty complexity is a flavor explosion. Adding a touch of Indonesian cinnamon and ginger powder enhances these flavors. The saltine crust is just fun, and much less labor intensive to make than tart dough. This is what you get when you play with your food!

Saffron Tart Cherry Nougat

Yes, really! This stunner of a candy recipe makes a festive treat for the holidays. Sweet and chewy, tart and crunchy, it is impossible to resist. Two pinches of Saffron are enough to get a hint of color and perfectly balanced flavor, but you can always add more if a stronger flavor is desired. The pairing of saffron and sugar with the pop of tart cherries and crunch of pistachios is simply delightful. And it's so pretty! Be sure to have a good, reliable thermometer at the ready. Success with this nougat is a temperature game and cooking the eggs with the hot sugar is an essential step.

Raw "Couscous" Cauliflower with Almonds, Dried Cherries, and Sumac

Winner of a James Beard Award Best Book in Vegetable-Focused Cooking and topping many "Best Cookbook of the Year" lists, Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables highlights the evolving attributes of vegetables throughout their growing seasons - from spring to early summer to midsummer to the abundant harvest of late summer, then ebbing into autumn and, the the earthy mellow sweetness of winter.Joshua McFadden, chef and owner of renowned trattoria Ava Gene’s in Portland, Oregon, is considered to be a "vegetable whisperer", and has learned to appreciate every part of the plant and how to get the best from vegetables at every stage of their lives. Each chapter begins with recipes featuring raw vegetables at the start of their season, progressing to sautés, pan roasts, braises, and stews. We think you'll enjoy this Raw "Couscous" Cauliflower with Almonds, Dried Cherries and Sumac - it tastes as good as it looks!From the author: "In this dish, I crumble the raw cauliflower so that it has the look and texture of couscous—it’s easy and unexpected and makes you think of cauliflower in a whole new way. If you can’t find dried tart cherries, use golden raisins or even chopped dried apricots; the idea is to have a sweet-tart and chewy element as contrast to the granular vegetable. And be sure to dress and season this salad generously. Underdressed, it risks being dry."

Summer Fruit Papillotes and Lavender Ice Cream (Papillotes de fruits de l'ete et glace a la lavande)

Food is considered by the French to be one of life's greatest pleasures, and author Béatrice Peltre celebrates that with her beautiful blog and cookbooks. In her cookbook, My French Family Table, she definitely takes advantage of spring and summer produce to make gorgeous salads and desserts. Here's a unique take on the traditional en papillote, but turning it into a stunning dessert instead.From the Author: "Use the same technique as for a savory papillote but add sweet ingredients instead; the result is something irresistible. This papillote uses a medley of luscious summer fruit that, once the parchment paper is torn open, displays a palette of bright colors that is completely seductive. I love it served with a scoop of lavender-infused ice cream melting slowly right in the middle."  

Tasmanian Cherry Ice Cream

Summer: Too many eggs in the coop + an early bumper-crop of cherries + a fresh shipment of Tasmanian Pepperberries = Ice cream party!!!!This is an awesome flavor combination, sweet cherries pair perfectly with the subtle tingle of Tasmanian pepperberries. You can also add chocolate chips into the mix, or maybe even a caramel swirl. Happy Summer!