Cherry Delight

hi ho cherry-o

I became an aunt (again) this week! My sister had her first baby - a sweet little girl. Nora Piper Schermerhorn was born Tuesday, July 29th at 5:24 am. She was 7 lbs. 13 oz. and 21 inches long. Wide-eyed and adorable, see the picture below, all is well with the new family. In honor of aunts, I'm making one of my favorite recipes for the summer - Cherry Delight - straight from the kitchen of my great aunt Pauline. I think she made some of the best desserts.

I mentioned that this is a great summer recipe, that's because this dessert is "no bake". It can be made ahead and is ready to serve when you are. It's similar to a cheese cake, but so much lighter with the Dream Whip blended in. I've opted to make the topping with fresh cherries, but this is traditionally served with canned cherry pie filling. If you opt for this topping, I suggest buying the lite version. This is a great make-and-take dish for any occasion...I'll be dropping some off for the new family. Here's how to make it...

Ingredients - Serves 12

Couldn't you just eat her up??

Crust & Filling
1 Stick Unsalted Butter
2 C Graham Cracker Crumbs
3 tsp. Powdered Sugar
Pinch of Salt
12 oz. (1 & 1/2 sticks) Cream Cheese, softened (full or low-fat okay)
1 C Granulated Sugar
2 Packages Dream Whip
1 C Milk (2% or higher)
1 tsp. Vanilla

Cherry Topping
Approx. 1 lb. Fresh Cherries, pitted & halved
1/2 Lemon, juiced
1/2 C Granulated Sugar
Pinch of Salt

Directions
Put a large bowl and beaters into the freezer to chill.

First make the crust: Melt the butter in a medium bowl, 1-2 minutes in the microwave. Add the graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, and salt to the bowl. Mix until it looks like wet sand. In a 13x9 pan, evenly distribute the graham cracker mixture. Press into the pan with a spoon or the bottom of a measuring cup. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.

As the crust sets, make the filling: In a medium bowl combine the softened cream cheese and sugar. With a mixer, beat on low to medium speed until well incorporated. Set aside.

Remove the large bowl and beaters from the freezer. Add the two packages of Dream Whip, milk, and vanilla. Beat on low, then gradually increase the speed to med-high to create a whipped cream. Beat until stiff peaks form, 4-5 minutes.

Next, fold the cream cheese mixture into the whipped cream mixture. Once everything is nearly incorporated, there will be lumps, then beat with the mixer on low just until incorporated. It's important to get most of the lumps out prior to beating, too much will cause the filling to loose its airiness.

Remove the crust from the refrigerator, add the filling, cover, and refrigerate until set. Anywhere from 2-4 hours. Note: this won't be super firm when set, it will still be somewhat like whipped cream. This is what makes it so light!

Meanwhile, make the cherry topping: In a medium sauce pot combine all of the ingredients plus 2-3 T of water. Bring the mixture up to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat to cool. Pour into a dish prior to serving.

Serve the dessert: Cut the dessert into 12 pieces, wiping the knife as needed. Plate and top with the cherries. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Enjoy!

Indian Infused Turkey Lettuce Wraps w/ Cherry Chutney

tantalize all 5 senses...

I've made many different types of lettuce wraps, but this is probably my favorite. It combines all 5 sensations of taste we can detect - salty, sour, sweet, bitter, and umami (or savory). A dish is said to be balanced when most (or all) of these tastes are incorporated. The final sense, umami, is relatively new to the scene. Albeit, proposed over 100 years ago, it was not widely accepted as one of the senses of taste until 1985. This term has become increasingly popular in American vernacular over the past decade, but is still referred to as savory by many.

Beyond balance and taste, these lettuce wraps are super easy. A simple cherry chutney, 6 ingredients including salt, are put into a sauce pan and simmered...ready when you are! And, ground turkey is infused with Indian aromatics and spices. This is a good opportunity to introduce yourself, your family, or friends to the flavors of India. Make these lettuce wraps when you need a quick, easy, and flavorful dinner. Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 4
Chutney
3/4 lb. Fresh Cherries, pitted & halved
1/2 C Dried Cranberries
1 Orange, zest & juice
1 tsp. Yellow Mustard Seed
2 T Cider Vinegar
Kosher Salt

Lettuce Wraps
Olive Oil
1.25 lbs. Ground Turkey (suggest Jenny-O 20 oz. package)
3 Green Onions, whites & greens separated & chopped
1 inch Fresh Ginger, grated
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 T Ground Cumin
1/2 T Ground Turmeric
1 tsp. Ground Coriander
1 tsp. Garam Masala
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
Pinch of Cayenne
2 T Rice Wine Vinegar
2 T Cilantro, chopped
Boston Lettuce, leaves separated, cleaned, & patted dry
Optional: Hot Sauce

Directions
Begin by making the chutney:
In a heavy-bottomed sauce pan combine all the ingredients except for the salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer. Cook until thick and syrupy, 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat. Add a pinch of salt, stir smashing the cherries a bit, and cool until ready to serve.

Cook the turkey filling: Heat a large skillet over med-high. Add 2-3 T olive oil and the turkey. Spread into an even layer in the pan. Leave, undisturbed, for 3-4 minutes to brown the meat. Once the meat has begun to caramelize, add the onion whites, ginger, and garlic. Stir to incorporate and continue cooking.

As the meat browns, make the spice mixture. In a small bowl combine the cumin, turmeric, coriander, garam masala, salt, and cayenne. Stir to blend.

In the final minute of cooking, add the spice mixture and vinegar to the turkey. Stir to combine everything well. Allow the vinegar to cook out and then remove from the heat and stir in the green onion tops and cilantro. Taste for seasoning; add as needed.

Finally, build the lettuce wraps: Place a lettuce cup on a plate. Add about 1/4 cup Indian infused turkey mixture and top with a couple tablespoons of cherry chutney. If desired, add a few drops of your favorite hot sauce. Wrap up and eat...then repeat. Enjoy!

Cherry & Cucumber Panzanella Salad

ba da bing cherry...

A summer staple, especially in July, are cherries. These small bright red stone fruits can be sweet and tart all at once. They are perfect eaten all by themselves (watch out for the pits!) or added to your favorite recipes. I love panzanella salad, a traditional bread salad usually paired with tomatoes, fresh herbs, and an olive oil dressing. So, I thought, perhaps I could riff on a panzanella to create the perfect brunch version just by switching out a few ingredients.

For this summer brunch salad I swap the tomatoes for cherries and use a buttery bread such as brioche or challah. The addition of cucumbers comes from a salad that my husband and I had at our friends Chris and Karrie's house. It was an interesting pairing (cherries and cucumbers), but tasty. Finally, I use fresh mint and cilantro in place of traditional herbs such as basil. The salad is finished off with a light white balsamic vinegar dressing. This helps to bring out the sweetness in the cherries. Make this panzanella for your next brunch or serve breakfast for dinner, like I did. Here's how to make it...

Ingredients - Serves 6-8
4 C Brioche or Challah Bread
1/2 lb. Cherries, pitted & halved
1 English Cucumber, diced
3 T Fresh Mint, chopped
3 T Fresh Cilantro, chopped
1/4 C Sliced Almonds, toasted
2 T White Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper

Directions
Preheat the broiler to low and move the oven rack two slots from the top.

Toast the bread: Cut the bread into 1 inch cubes. On a large sheet tray, arrange the bread into a single layer. Toast, tossing as needed. Remove from the oven to cool. NOTE: Don't skip this step. It's important to have dry bread so that the dressing will be better absorbed.

Make the salad: In a large bowl combine the cherries, cucumber, mint, cilantro, and almonds. Toss and set aside.

Make the dressing: In a small bowl combine the vinegar, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Whisk in the olive oil until it emulsifies.

Build the salad: Add the cooled bread to the cherry and cucumber mixture. Pour in the dressing and toss to mix well. Allow the salad to sit for 10 minutes. Toss once more to distribute the juices from the cherries and cucumbers. Then serve along side your favorite brunch foods. Enjoy!