BeyondWonderful.com: Barbara Adams, Beyond Wonderful Baking, Cheese, Produce, and Wine Culinary Experts


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	Dan's June Best of Season Fruits Apples Fresh crop apples—Chile and New Zealand Apriums and Apricots California apriums and apricots Berries Blackberries Blueberries Boysenberries Raspberries Cantaloupe Cantaloupe Cherries Bing cherries Rainier cherries Grapefruit Arizona grapefruit California grapefruit Grapes California table grapes Melons, California Dessert Canary melons Casaba melons Crenshaw melons Honeydue melons Oranges Valencia oranges Peaches and Necterines California peaches and nectarines Pears Pears—Chile and New Zealand Pineapple Gold pineapples Plums and Pluots Plums and pluots Rhubarb Fresh field rhubarb Strawberries Watsonville strawberries Watermelon Watermelon Vegetables Artichokes Castroville artichokes Asparagus Washington asparagus Avocados California avocados Beans Blue Lake beans Fava beans French haricot beans Romano beans Yellow wax beams Broccoli Broccoli rabe (Rapini) Corn Fresh corn on the cob Cucumbers Pickling cucumers Greens Dandelion greens Green chard Rainbow chard Red chard Onions Italian sweet red onions Peas English peas Squash Blossoms Squash blossoms Squash Summer squash (several varieties) Tomatoes Heirloom tomatoes—California desert

Produce Expert
Dan Avakian

Getting Fresh

Summer Cherries

This is a bumper-crop year for cherries. Ripe, juicy, and affordable for all your favorite recipes.

This year’s long-awaited California bing cherry season is beginning, and set to be a beauty. As California production decreases in mid-June, Washington takes the wheel, and usually stays with us through July. In other words, it’s going to be a sweet, juicy summer.

Although this is good news for the consumer, it isn’t so good for the growers and shippers, who are finding themselves with a lot of #2 fruit consisting of “doubles” and “spurs.” Doubles are two cherries joined together (like Siamese twins). Spurs are cherries that started out as a double, but one half dried up leaving a “spur.” Although these cherries have all the flavor and crunch of a perfect bing, they can’t command nearly the same price as their prettier counterparts. Growers obviously prefer perfectly round, large cherries. These can be exported for big bucks, especially to Japan where—I kid you not—a vendor can get up to $5.00 per cherry.

Dan Avakian shows seed and double cherries.

How to Select Cherries

Look for bing cherries that are dark red to almost black, but still firm with fresh green stems. They should be shiny and not stick together. Avoid soft and "leaky" cherries, and those that are sticky or dull with loose, dry, brown stems. These cherries are on their way out!

Cherry Storage
Keep fresh cherries in a plastic or paper bag, unwashed, in the coldest area of your refrigerator. They will keep for up to three days, and then start to soften. Do not wash your cherries until you are ready to eat or prepare them. Cherries absorb water through their skin, and washing them prior to storage will cause them to break down much more quickly.

Read more about Dan Avakian.

Dan's Web site www.producepair.com

Cherry Compote recipe. Beyond Wonderful cherry recipe.

Cherry Compote

This supremely simple compote uses almost no seasoning—just a splash of red wine to subtly enhance the cherries’ natural flavor. Serve it in a pretty cup with a dollop of whipped cream, or use it as a topper for ice cream or pound cake. Recipe.



	Cherry-Almond Clafouti While some traditional recipes claim that using un-pitted cherries in clafoutis enhances the dish’s flavor, I’m unwilling to risk the broken teeth! Enhanced with amaretto and vanilla, this version boasts plenty of flavor, and is ideal for dessert or brunch. Recipe

Columns to Savor
Dan Avakian

Artichokes and Fresh Strawberries

Spring Asparagus and Radishes

Barbara Adams Beyond Wonderful features large recipe collections of full-proof quick and easy recipes, classic family favorites, global cuisine, and party ideas. Get illustrated cooking tips and techniques,cooking for beginners, food features, and expert advice on baking, cheese, produce, and wine.

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