The tart rhubarb combines with the rich cherries for a delicious and complex blend of flavors. This recipe primarily utilizes the juice from the cherries. The cooked cherries are strained out and can either be discarded or set aside for another use. They are delicious spooned over plain yogurt or frozen to use in smoothies. Once the cooked cherries have cooled, you will need to pick through them to remove the pits.
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Pastry Cream
Pastry cream is a classic component of many desserts and pastry. It’s very similar to vanilla pudding although it generally is not served on its own. Pastry cream has many uses, some of my favorites are in eclairs, fruit tarts, and cakes.
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Spiced Apple Plum Jam
This is a delicious fall jam. The apple-plum combination provides an interesting flavor as well as a nice consistency for the jam. The spices add complexity and warmth while still letting the fruit flavors dominate.
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Roasted Plums
I used Italian plums because that’s what I had on hand, but I think this would work well with any plum variety. This is a great way to use up plums that are needing to be used before they go bad. The plums are not overly sweetened and are delicious served with Greek yogurt or oatmeal for breakfast, especially when topped with some toasted walnuts. They would also be good warmed and served over a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert.
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Italian Plum Jam
Italian plums, also called Italian prune plums, turn a beautiful red when cooked. They tend to be less juicy than other plums and are known for their sweet flavor when cooked. They make a really delicious jam. These freestone plums are also so easy to prep – just cut in half and remove the pit!
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Pear Jam with Vanilla and Elderflower
This not-too-sweet jam combines rich vanilla with delicate elderflower to accent the full pear flavor. My favorite market sells fruit in bulk and jam is such a satisfying way to use up produce. You will lose a considerable amount of weight in peeling and coring the pears. I started with a little over 8 lbs in order to have the 6 lbs prepped, so that’s something to keep in mind when you go to purchase fruit.
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Rhubarb Vanilla Jam
The sweet-tart combination of rhubarb jam is one of my favorites. The vanilla bean accents the fruit forward flavor and provides added depth and interest. I would not substitute with vanilla extract, as it won’t provide the same depth that you get with a bean.
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Basil Vinaigrette
This is a delicious dressing in the summertime when basil is abundant. The walnut oil adds depth to the flavors and I love its addition here. However if you don’t have walnut oil but you do have a giant pile of basil, olive oil will also work.
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Caramelized Onions
I love caramelized onions. They’re an easy way to add a concentrated boost of flavor. They require just an occasional stir while cooking, so it’s easy to have them going in the background while you work on other things. Caramelized onions freeze really well, so I always make more than I will need at one time. It’s the same amount of work regardless of how many onions you do, so you might as well make extra.
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Simple Lemon Vinaigrette
This vinaigrette is about as simple as it gets. It only has three ingredients and all you have to do is shake a jar to combine them. I frequently just add lemon juice and olive oil directly to my salad ingredients, but sometimes it can be nice to have it mixed up ahead of time. I like to have this to put on salads that I take for lunch or if I’m bringing a salad somewhere and want to be able to dress it quickly before we eat.
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