Orchard Talk

Makes 6 servings of Hungarian Sour Cherry Soup

Prep Time:  10 minutes

Cook Time:  20 minutes

Ingredients:

-6 cups of water

-1 pound of fresh sour cherries, pitted

- 3/4 cup of sugar

- 1 cup of sour cream

- 2 tablespoons of flour

- 1/4 teaspoon of salt

- 1 teaspoon of confectioner’s sugar

Preparation:

1. In a large saucepan, cook cherries with water and 3/4 cup of sugar until done, about 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium  bowl, mix sour cream with flour, salt and confectioners’ sugar until smooth.

3. When cherries are done, temper the sour cream mixture with a few ladles of hot cherry liquid, whisking until smooth.  Transfer to the pan with the cherries and whisk until smooth.  Simmer 5 minutes, but do not boil.

4. Cool to room temperature in an ice water bath.  Place plastic wrap directly  on the surface of the soup (so a skin doesn’t form) and refrigerate until cold.  Serve cold as a first course as they do in Hungary or as a dessert with a dollop of sour cream or whipped cream.

Tags: hungarian cherry recipes, meggyleves recipe, sour cherry soup

Makes about 6 servings of Hungarian Cherry Cake – Cseresznyes Lepeny

Prep Time:  30 minutes

Cook Time:  30 minutes

Ingredients:

- 1 pound of fresh, washed, stemmed and pitted sour cherries (left whole)

- 6 ounces of unsalted butter at room temperature

- 3/4 cup of granulated sugar

- 3 large eggs, separated

- 1 cup of all-purpose flour

- a pinch of salt

- 1/4 cup of bread crumbs

- vanilla sugar

Preparation:

1.  Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Butter a 10×6 inch rectangular tart pan, or a 9″ square or 9″ round  cake pan and dust with bread crumbs.

2.  In a large bowl, cream butter and half the granulated sugar until light and fluffy.  Add egg yolks and continue creaming until well incorporated.  Add the flour and salt, mixing well.

3.  With clean, grease-free beaters, whip egg whites with remaining granulated sugar until stiff.  Gently fold whites into cake batter.

4.  Transfer batter to prepared pan.  Top with cherries, stem side down.  Bake 30 minutes.  The batter will partially bubble up and cover the fruit.  Cool in pan.  Sprinkle with vanilla sugar.  Cut into squares or wedges and serve.

Tags: Fresh Cherry Recipes, fresh tart cherries, sour cherries, tart cherries

Makes about 2 1/2 cups of Hungarian Cherry Sauce or Cseresznye Martas

Prep Time:  20 minutes

Cook Time:  20 minutes

Ingredients:

- 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour

- 2 tablespoons of butter

- 1 pound of washed, stemmed, pitted sour cherries

- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice

- 1 teaspoon of sugar

- a pinch of salt

- 1/2 to 3/4 cup of half-and-half

- 2 tablespoons of sour cream

Preparation:

1.  In a medium saucepan, lightly brown flour in butter.  Add cherries, lemon juice, sugar and salt.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until thickened.

2.  In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of half-and-half and sour cream until smooth.  If cherries have not given off a lot juices, you may need to use 3/4 cup of half-and-half instead of 1/2 cup.

3.  Temper the sour cream mixture with a ladleful of the cherry sauce.  Return the tempered sour cream mixture to the cherries, mix well and heat through on low for about 5 minutes.  Serve warm, cold or at room temperature with chicken, potatoes or game meat.

Tags: balaton cherries, cherry recipes, fresh cherries, michigan cherries, sour cherries, tart cherries, tart cherry recipes

Makes 6 servings of Cherry Bublanina or Tresnova Bublania

Prep Time:  30 minutes

Cook Time:  30 minutes

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter, softened

- 1/2 cup of sugar

- 3 large eggs divided, at room temperature

- 1 tablespoon Amaretto or other almond liqueur (optional)

- 1/2 teaspoon of salt

- pinch of cream of tartar

- 1 cup of all-purpose flour

- 1 pound of washed, pitted sour cherries

- confectioners’ sugar

Preparation:

1.  Place rack in center of oven and heat to 350 degrees.  Butter or lightly coat with cooking spray a 9″ x 9″ baking pan.  In a medium  bowl, cream together butter, sugar and yolks until light and fluffy.  Add liqueur, if using, and salt, mixing well.

2.  In a clean medium bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff.  Alternately fold in egg whites and flour into butter – egg mixture.

3.  Turn batter into prepared pan and scatter cherries evenly over top.  Lightly press down cherries into batter until partially covered.  Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.  Cut  into 6 equal pieces.  Serve warm or cold dusted with the confectioners’ sugar.

Tags: fresh tart cherries, tart cherries, tart cherry recipes