It’s cherry season! This recipe for one of my favorite cherry desserts is from Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles Cookbook. It also makes a delicious breakfast or brunch the next day.

Pit 1.5 lbs of cherries and let macerate for 1 hour in 3 ounces kirsch.

Preheat oven to 450F.

Grease a 9-in baking dish with 1 Tbsp butter. Coat with a pinch of sugar. Refrigerate until ready for use.

Beat 6 eggs with a whisk in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 ounces sugar and mix well to incorporate.

Stir in 4 ounces of flour and 1 tsp vanilla extract until the batter is homogenous, but do not overwork the flour.

Fold in the cherries and their juices using a rubber spatula.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes or until a golden crust has formed on top. A skewer inserted into the center should come out clean, not wet.

Serve with a dusting of confectioner’s sugar and vanilla ice cream.

Bon appétit!

Wine pairing: A Rose with red fruit aromas; a young, fruity red wine, like Beaujolais, or an off-dry or dessert-style sparkling wine, such as Prosecco. Cheers!

Peaches are one of my favorite summer fruits, and we bought South Carolina peaches today at Oasis, our local global market. The spinach and arugula were picked from our garden.

Start with grilled pizza dough, and a charcoal fire on one side of the grill only (for indirect heat), cook dough over the coals until bottom is lightly browned and crisp, rotating as necessary for even browning. The dough will form bubbles as the yeast produce carbon dioxide. Flip dough over (the cooked side is now the top of the pizza), flatten the air bubbles, move off the coals, and coat dough with olive oil. Add crumbled chevre.

Move the dough back over the coals and rotate to cook the bottom evenly. Once the bottom is browned, move dough over to indirect heat and add spinach, arugula, and 1-2 chopped peaches that have been tossed with extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and salt and pepper.

Close the grill and let greens wilt and peaches warm through, 2-5 minutes. If you’re feeling inspired, grill the peaches while the dough is cooking before adding them to the greens mixture.

Serve with balsalmic vinegar and fruity hot sauces as condiments.

Bon appétit!

Wine pairing: Viognier, with its varietal descriptors of peach and apricot, and its floral aromas, would be perfect with the peaches in this recipe. Virginia wineries are producing some fabulous Viogniers. Rose or Albarino would also pair well with this pizza. Cheers!

Lunch today. One of my favorites – especially in winter just before, after, or if I’m really needing a tropical vacation. I’ve had similar salades in San juan, St. Barth, and Hawaii.

Chop several different tropical fruits (mango, papaya, pineapple, avocado, kiwi, banana, etc.) and serve over a bed of greens. Pomegranate is a lovely addition in winter. Hearts of palm are frequently served in the versions I’ve had closer to the equator.

Sprinkle with grated coconut. Maybe throw some chopped cashews, macadamia nuts, or sliced almonds on there.

Dress with fresh lime or lemon juice and olive oil. Chopped fresh cilantro adds a nice herbal contrast.

Bon appétit!

Wine pairing: Something with rum – mai tai, painkiller, pina colada, rum punch. A fruity white wine such as a New Zealand Sauvignon blanc or a Viognier from Virginia or France would be lovely.

Delicious served with red meat or poultry.

Dissolve 1 cup sugar in 1 cup red wine or ruby port in a saucepan over medium heat.

Add one cinnamon stick, the zest of 1 orange or 2 clementines/tangerines, and 12 ounces fresh cranberries.

Increase heat, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer until the cranberries pop and the sauce is thickened, about 15-20 minutes.

Serve warm, room temperature, or chilled.

Bon appétit!

Wine pairing: Choose wines that have good fruit character on the palate for making and pairing with this dish (avoid wines with earthy or mineral-dominant profiles). I have made this dish with Ruby Port, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Shiraz. Think new world wines from California, Oregon, Autralia, and New Zealand, as well as some young wines from France. Cheers!