John and I spent half of our vacation in Montreal, Canada at
the International Jazz Festival. It is
the largest jazz festival in the world and we had the opportunity to see many
shows including Trombone Shorty, Wayne Shorter (on the occasion of his 80th
birthday) and Christine and Ingrid Jensen.
We also rode bicycles around town and ate at several local
restaurants. In addition to Poutine
(French fries with cheese curds and gravy), this area of Canada is known for
its preserved meats including sausages and pates. While there, we bought picnic food for the
festival which included chicken pate on fig bread. And, while I didn’t have a chance to try it,
there was a wonderful recipe in the newspaper there about how well pickled cherries
go with both pate and cheese.
Cherries are still in our grocery although not as local now
as they are in Canada. But, I just
couldn’t resist putting up a half batch for a lovely cheese plate later this
summer. I might add that not only are
they lovely on the shelf, but they taste even better than you might expect with
a bit of crunch and both a sweet and sour taste.
2 c. water
2 ½ c. white vinegar (the Canadian recipe used half white
and ½ Balsamic vinegar)
2 c. sugar
5 bay leaves
7-8 whole peppercorns per jar
)The Canadian recipe also added a pinch of cayenne)
3 pounds sweet cherries with the stems removed
Combine water, vinegar(s) and sugar (cayenne as well if
using) and bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Clean 5 pint jars and add bay leaf and peppercorns
to each. Pack cherries into jars. Pour brine over and add lids. Seal in boiling water for 10 minutes.
One Year Ago – pita bread and cheese
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