I have a love-hate relationship with cherries. I love to eat them and I hate to pick and pit them. Back on the farm in Iowa, we had a sour cherry tree that represented countless hours of pure drudgery to a child. I endured the pain for the taste of my mother’s perfectly latticed tart cherry pie.
After moving to Los Angeles I started craving freshly harvested sour cherries – despite the memories of pitting them. Luckily I discovered Bing cherries. These dark lusciousness gems are sweeter, easier to pick (at the grocery store) and as delicious as cherries from our farm. Unlike the sour cherries, you can pop these sweet treats in your mouth, or cook them in a sweet or savory dish.
Not only did I discover a magnificent variety of a favorite fruit, I also found the OXO Cherry Pitter.
This ingenious device (given to me as part of a package at Camp Blogaway – a food blogging event) makes pitting cherries a breeze. With just a squeeze of the handle the pit pops right out. It works so well, I might even take it with me on my next trip back to Iowa.
If you want to know what to do with your cherry pits, click here for an interesting twist from the Tasting Table.
Today’s Recipe:
Bing cherries are sweet, yet when you roast them, their tangy essence emerges. This concentrated flavor makes the fruit a spectacular addition to this savory dish.
TIP: I brine my salmon to reduce the unattractive white layer of film (albumin) that forms on the surface during cooking when using high heat. Just 10 minutes in a salty brine (1 tablespoon of salt per cup of water) is enough to minimize the effect.
Roasted Cherries with Salmon
Roasted Cherries with Salmon
Ingredients
- • 1/2 pound about 1 1/4 cups cherries, pitted and halved
- • 2 tablespoons lime juice divided
- • 2 teaspoons honey
- • 1 teaspoon chopped sage
- • 6 ounces salmon fillet cut in half
- • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- • 2 cloves garlic minced
- • 1/2 pound spinach thoroughly washed
- • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
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Arrange one rack about 8 inches from the heating element and another around 4 inches away. Preheat broiler. (My broiler is 550 degrees)
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In a large bowl, toss together cherries, 1 tablespoon lime juice, honey and sage.
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Arrange salmon skin-side down on a large foil-lined baking sheet. Scatter cherry mixture around salmon and broil until salmon is just cooked through and cherries are juicy and caramelized, 5 to 6 minutes. Move pan to upper rack in oven for one more minute to brown salmon. Remove from oven.
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Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add oil and garlic. Sauté garlic in oil for 2 minutes. Add spinach to the pan and turn leaves in warm oil until they wilt. Season the wilted spinach with salt and pepper.
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Transfer half the spinach to each plate and top with salmon.
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Drizzle remaining tablespoon of lime juice over cherries and place on salmon and spinach. Serve while hot.
Recipe Notes
Serves 2
Fun Facts about Cherries
- Cherry pie filling is the number one pie filling sold in the U.S.
- Considered an exalted plant, Japan gave the United States 3,020 cherry blossom trees, in 1912, as a gift of their growing friendship. These trees were planted in Manhattan in Sakura Park.
Quote of the Day:
“He who likes cherries soon learns to climb” – German Proverb
“She” who loves cherries learns when they are in season and buys them at the market.
…and then, she paused 4 thought.
Yum
I love the tip about brining the salmon. Thanks.
Thanks Nan, If you cook salmon at a low temp the white stuff isn’t usually a problem, but when you roast salmon the brining is a big help.
Cathy this is a beautiful dish. I haven’t tasted it, but all ingredients seem to perfectly complement each other. Yum. Cannot wait to try it.
Susan
Thanks Susan, I will make it for you next time you are in LA.
I love colorful meals that are also delicious! The creative combinations you continue to come up with STILL amaze me! I look forward to your fun blogs and great recipes, and I always learn many things every time — like, who would EVER guess that cherry pits could be useful!!! The device that removes the pits from the cherry is no longer one of your “pitfalls” in making cherries a part of your life!
LOL Linda! Thank you for your kind words.
I agree, Linda! The colors in this dish are gorgeous! And I am actually thinking about trying it now that I know that magic of the cherry corer. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for stopping by Kim. The cherry pitter is a wonderful invention.
Wow! Nothing short of spectacular, as usual, Cathy! Would you believe I spent God knows how long pitting 2 lbs of sour cherries this morning?! How did I NOT get an OXO cherry pitter at camp? 🙁
Christina WHERE did you get sour cherries? Please tell me it was in LA!!!! The OXO cherry pitter was from last years Camp Blogaway.
I love cherries and I love salmon. Sounds like a delightful combo. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Jennifer, I was pleasantly surprised as was my husband over this combo. Enjoy!
Loved the “Tip” 🙂
Loved everything about this post 🙂
Love you and will always be 🙂
Thanks Nusrat, for your kind words of encouragement.
Oooh my tastebuds are tingling just thinking about this flavor combination!! Excellent!
Thanks Kristianne, this combo is a surprising favorite in our house. Loving your use of cherries as well!
http://www.mysanfranciscokitchen.com/chocolate-cherry-muesli/
Oh my! Really. Oh my… GREG
Really Greg, really. All we need to complete the meal is something with almonds, like…
Coconut Almond Macaroons!
http://www.sippitysup.com/recipe/coconut-almond-macaroons/
We have been eating cherries like mad in recent weeks. So delicious. We call that OXO tool our cherry “gun” and I love it. Good tip about brineing. Thanks.
Thanks Lynne, I love the cherry gun so much. It has made buying cherries at the market more desirable for me. 🙂
This looks so wonderful. I totally get what you mean- cherries are one of my favorite fruits and yet I hate dealing with them. I made ice cream earlier and pitted 2 pounds of cherries at once. Blech. But the final results somehow make it all worth it.
Thanks Jen! The cherry pitter helps easy the pain of this amazing fruit. I am still drooling over your Cherry Gazpacho Soup recipe.
http://www.savorysimple.net/cherry-gazpacho-an-ipad-giveaway/
I’ve never brined my salmon, but I’m going to!!! Excellent tip. I should do a side-by-side comparison to see/taste the difference. [K]
I have the OXO pitter too. Come to think of it I got it at FoodBuzz too. I miss FoodBuzz (the way it once was). GREG
I never heard of brining salmon. This looks beyond fabulous! You ought to be a food stylist for a living!
Adair, I hadn’t heard about it until I googled it. I thought there had to be a way to get around that white stuff. Thanks for your encouraging words, I really appreciate it.
Cherries and Salmon… would have never thought of that! Looks so yummy! WOW
Thanks Cheri, I think you will like this intriguing combo.