Cherries

I did not know how long I could wait before plunging headfirst into the cherry season. Maybe it's because I am getting older and my sense of time has become more skewed and perverse.  Maybe it's the positive effects of climate change. But seriously, do cherries really show up this early? Damn, I couldn't remember.  I do recall walking to school uphill in both directions when I was a young piss-ant.

The significance of the cherry blossom tree in Japanese culture goes back hundreds of years. In their country, the cherry blossom represents the fragility and the beauty of life. It's a reminder that life is almost overwhelmingly beautiful but that it is also tragically short. - Homaro Cantu

I walked past one of the many cherry booths at the Portland Farmer's Market and noticed a vendor had sour cherries. Intrigued I stopped and ate a few. Love at first bite.  Dark red juice dripped down my chin as the intense, cherry pie flavor of my youth exploded like Fourth of July firework in my mouth. I knew had to buy some. Their unique flavor far better suited to cooking than traditional sweet cherries. I could not resist. Reshooting my cherry dessert had been high in my mind since my friend Cindy pointed out how shitty my picture looked for my upcoming book entitled Mistral: Cuisine of the Sun.

Macerated Cherries with Lemon Verbena Ice Cream

Marinated Cherries

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon Five Spice
• 1 vanilla bean
• 1 pound sour cherries

Lemon Verbena Ice Cream

• 1 cup lemon verbena leaves
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup sugar
• pinch of salt
• 8 egg yolks (room temperature)
• 2 cups heavy cream

Lemon Puffs

• 1 lemon (juiced and zested)
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 package puff pastry
• 1 cup sugar

Final Assembly

• powdered sugar

Marinated Cherries

1. Bring sugar and water to a boil for two minutes, then turn off.
2. Add cinnamon, five spice and vanilla bean and cool.
3. Add cherries and macerate overnight.

Lemon Verbena Ice Cream

1. Let lemon verbena leaves infuse in warm milk for a few hours.
2. Strain leaves out and bring milk to a boil.
3. Whisk sugar, salt, and egg yolks together until lemon colored and fluffy.
4. Add half of the milk slowly to yolks while stirring constantly.
5. Pour mixture into remaining milk and cook over low heat, constantly stirring with a wooden spoon until sauce consistency. Sauce consistency is achieved when you can drag your finger through the ice cream base on the back of a wooden spoon and a permanent track appears.
6. Add heavy cream and freeze in your ice cream machine.
7. Freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Lemon Puffs

1. Mix one tablespoon of lemon juice, lemon zest, and powdered sugar together. Remove puff pastry from the package, dredge in granulated sugar and roll till it is 1/8th inch thick. Cut into 1/8 inch wide by 6 inch long rectangles and freeze till firm.
2. Brush with lemon sugar mixture and bake at 450 on a Silpat till lightly browned about seven minutes. Brush again with lemon sugar mixture. Cool completely.

Final Assembly

1. Put a spoonful of the macerated cherries in the bottom of a chilled bowl.
2. Top with a scoop of lemon verbena ice cream and two powdered sugar dipped lemon puffs.