I have never in my life lived near a cherry tree. That is, until this summer. Cherry trees are a gift that gives twice: blossoms and fruit. You might say, both a visual and taste sensation.
We had a tree at the office (where I spent nine+ hours a day) and at my house (with fleas and without a kitten, thank you everyone for your sympathy). Mid-May, there they were, beautiful bright red. It might have been a sour tree, because the cherries were more red and less deep purple. But they weren't too sour to constitute half my diet the first week in June. I probably ate 50 cherries a day for at least a week.
I found a yogurt pie recipe in my trusty Simply in Season and made it twice to critical acclaim, in addition to a "cherry sponge" with my Scottish roommate. One goodnatured guard would harvest the cherries into a plastic bag via a rickety wooden ladder upon request and I paid him in пирог, pirog.
Yogurt pie
1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream (I used smetana)
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
2 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
Combine yogurt, sugar, egg, lemon juice, and salt and mix well.
2 1/2 cups pitted cherries (or mulberries, peaches, it's flexible)
9 inch pastry shell
Place fruit in the pastry shell and pour yogurt mixture over top. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Bake in preheated 400F oven for 25 minutes.
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
2 Tbsp butter (melted)
Combine brown sugar, flour, and butter. Remove pie from oven, reduce heat to 375F. Sprinkle topping evenly over top of the pie and bake for another 25-30 minutes.
My grandma asked me this week, how will I ever be content to come home, "The old I World War song comes to mind, "How You Gonna Keep 'em Down On The Farm, After They've Seen Paree?" I've wondered that myself. I am not sure what "back" will mean. I'm expecting something conventional, tied down by responsibilities, but I've been surprised before.
My shining cherry tree moment has cheered me that there are lots of pleasure in simple things, very normal things, "Finding what's funny, what's holy, what's suffering in ordinary everyday life." I may not get another cherry tree, per se. My parents may have had two apple trees at the ranch since 1986 and only three harvests (I can still see Crystal Guidice harvest apples with me during the 1997 volleyballs regionals - divine apples bright red and bright white). But, but...
There will always be the proverbial cherry tree, something ordinary that comes along to brighten life if only for a season.
We had a tree at the office (where I spent nine+ hours a day) and at my house (with fleas and without a kitten, thank you everyone for your sympathy). Mid-May, there they were, beautiful bright red. It might have been a sour tree, because the cherries were more red and less deep purple. But they weren't too sour to constitute half my diet the first week in June. I probably ate 50 cherries a day for at least a week.
I found a yogurt pie recipe in my trusty Simply in Season and made it twice to critical acclaim, in addition to a "cherry sponge" with my Scottish roommate. One goodnatured guard would harvest the cherries into a plastic bag via a rickety wooden ladder upon request and I paid him in пирог, pirog.
Yogurt pie
1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream (I used smetana)
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
2 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
Combine yogurt, sugar, egg, lemon juice, and salt and mix well.
2 1/2 cups pitted cherries (or mulberries, peaches, it's flexible)
9 inch pastry shell
Place fruit in the pastry shell and pour yogurt mixture over top. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Bake in preheated 400F oven for 25 minutes.
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
2 Tbsp butter (melted)
Combine brown sugar, flour, and butter. Remove pie from oven, reduce heat to 375F. Sprinkle topping evenly over top of the pie and bake for another 25-30 minutes.
My grandma asked me this week, how will I ever be content to come home, "The old I World War song comes to mind, "How You Gonna Keep 'em Down On The Farm, After They've Seen Paree?" I've wondered that myself. I am not sure what "back" will mean. I'm expecting something conventional, tied down by responsibilities, but I've been surprised before.
My shining cherry tree moment has cheered me that there are lots of pleasure in simple things, very normal things, "Finding what's funny, what's holy, what's suffering in ordinary everyday life." I may not get another cherry tree, per se. My parents may have had two apple trees at the ranch since 1986 and only three harvests (I can still see Crystal Guidice harvest apples with me during the 1997 volleyballs regionals - divine apples bright red and bright white). But, but...
There will always be the proverbial cherry tree, something ordinary that comes along to brighten life if only for a season.
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