Cherry Mania - 3 New Recipes

It's lovely that cherries are now in season, and while they aren't always as sweet as in the middle of summer, there are plenty of things to do with them. The below three recipes offer a couple of unique ways to use cherries, especially ones that are a bit sour. Two of the recipes come straight from my grandmother's kitchen and the other is from my great uncle Simon. From our Slovak kitchen to yours...

Cherry Compote - This dish can be eaten in many ways - as a dessert, a side or even a snack. It's super simple and can be stored in an airtight container for months. You can substitute cherries with any fruit of your choice.

Ingredients
A bowlful of fresh cherries (3-4 cups), pitted
2 tbs of sugar

Directions
Place cherries, sugar and water (enough to cover cherries) in a deep saucer on medium heat. Let boil and then simmer for 15 minutes or until cherries are soft. Remove from heat. Let cool completely and then transfer to an airtight pickling jar. Store for up to 4 months.

Cherry Soup - I remember this soup from my childhood, eating it on warm days for lunch or even dessert. My grandma made it best and she finally revealed her delicious yet simple recipe. I altered it a bit with cinnamon and you can add spices of your choice too (cloves might be nice).

Ingredients (serves 4)
Bowlful of fresh cherries (3 - 4 cups), pitted
2 tbs of sugar
2 eggs
A dash of cinnamon

Directions
Place cherries, sugar and water (enough to cover cherries) in a deep saucer on medium heat. Let boil and then simmer for 15 minutes or until cherries are soft. Remove from heat. In a separate container beat both eggs well. Slowly and gradually add the cherries to the eggs and keep mixing - the warm cherry liquid will cook the eggs. Continue until you've added all of your cherries. Add cinnamon and let cool completely.

Cherry Cake (Bublanina) - Another dessert from my childhood, it's made by each member of my family and everyone has a slightly different version. This one comes from my uncle Simon and while it's simple and quick, it's quite delicious and will make your whole house smell divine. Enjoy it with a lovely cup of tea or coffee - for the morning or a late night snack.

My uncle's recipe follows the metric system so I didn't want confuse anyone. Use the recipe here instead.

Enjoy cherry season!