pick cherries

A favorite memory: a summer afternoon in Sweden, a deserted farm, and lots of cherry trees. Time stood still. What a wonderful thing to do!

I finally got to do this again, today in the Brandenburg countryside, where we stopped the car on the sidelane of some dirt / bush road. In spite of a strained ankle, I even climbed a tree – couldn’t resist! Red cherries, both small and bigger, darker ones, and yellow cherries – I’ve never seen those before, unfortunately they were too high up. In a week or so, I’ll get to go home and see how the cherry tree in my very own deserted garden is doing.

I’ve never picked cherries…so I think this experience would be unforgetable)

I went this afternoon with my kids and picked a sour cherry tree in the neighborhood. There was a decent fruit set this year, so there were lots – I picked enough for a clafoutis (in the oven right now) and enough are left over to eat with yogurt for the next few days.

I’m a big believer in local foods and free fruit!

I loved climbing the tree and picking cherries. If I had such a tree now, I’d climb right up it, age 63 or not! Climb, pick, eat some, put some in a bag on my arm to take to others, enjoy the sun and the birds and the breezes. It has been about 15 years since I last enjoyed this pleasure. No ladder was needed, just get up to that first limb somehow and go up as far as the tree would support. Good reason to keep my weight down! :-)

I’ll let you know more once I do a little cherry season research – where cherries thrive (I’d love to go to Oregon and pick Rainiers!) and where you can pick your own. More details to come.

A little kirshwasser, a little brandy (or in my case, some rum), a pound of cherries: set the beautiful mess on fire and you’ve got cherries jubilee.

Oh, I did ask my friend Dave Alexander to give me a ride to a cherry orchard. I’m going to research it right now.

But I know that doesn’t count. However, this month I’ve made Cherry Claofuti and Cherry Pie from scratch from the Joy (of Cooking, of course).