I’ve got 10 creative ideas for using cherries this summer:

1. Cherries on the Cheese & Charcuterie Plate

In Ad Hoc at Home, Thomas Keller shares a recipe for Potted Bing Cherries with Balsamic Vinegar and Tarragon. Serve them on a charcuterie plate with salumi and blue cheese. I like the simple preparation found in the July issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine: sweet Bing cherries on a cheese plate of soft Robiola with almonds, thyme, and extra-virgin olive oil.

2. Cherry Ice Cream

You can make cherry ice cream by cooking and pureeing cherries to combine with an ice cream base. Experiment with flavors that accentuate the sweetness of cherries, like almond extract or vanilla. Chocolate and cherry is also a historic combination.

3. Fresh Cherry Wine

In the James Beard winning cookbook, Patricia Wells At Home in Provence, you’ll find a recipe for Fresh Cherry Wine. This homemade liqueur needs to cure for 2 months before, drinking. What a treat it will be come September when there are no cherries in sight!

4. Cherries On Your Sandwich

Why not try halved cherries to liven up your usual chicken salad sandwich? I’m thinking chicken, mayo, basil, cherries, and shallots. Or maybe a homemade cherry relish for a grilled ham and Swiss cheese sandwich?

5. Make Cherry Jam

In The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook, I love how Rachel Saunders focuses on understanding the ingredients, the process, and the fruit so the reader is empowered to cook intuitively. Rachel writes, “Of all spring and summer jams, cherry jam has perhaps the most complex flavor.” This week I plan on making her Brandied Red Cherry Conserve with sweet red cherries.

6. Pickled Cherries

The River Cottage Preserves Handbook includes a recipe for sweet pickled cherries that uses cinnamon, allspice, and orange zest. The Bon Apétit test kitchen also has a spicy pickle recipe here. I think pickled cherries would be great with Asian foods, barbecue, and charcuterie.

7. Bread & Pizza with Cherries

The July issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine features a recipe for Sour Cherry and Rosemary Focaccia that’s both sweet and savory. I’ve baked Tuscan sweet bread with grapes before, and I think cherries would work beautifully. You could even put sweet Bing cherries on a pizza with arugula and sliced sausages.

8. Cherry Compote

A compote is made by slowly cooking fruit in sugar with liqueur or spices. The fruit is stewed in its own juices which concentrates the flavor. Slow cooking helps the fruit maintain its shape without getting mushy. A cherry compote is a deeply flavored sauce that can be served over ice cream, pudding, and cake. There are two recipes for cherry compote in Chez Panisse Desserts– one uses balsamic vinegar for flavor and the other brandy with kirsch.

9. Cherry Pies, Tarts & Galettes

If you’ve never had a lattice crusted tart cherry pie, you’re really missing out. I love a sweet little hand pie and these days you can get presses in all shapes like hearts and stars. The lovely colors, firm shape, and acidity of cherries make for an excellent fruit tart. A galette is an open faced pie. In Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook she spreads a layer of frangipane (ground almonds) over the dough for a cherry galette and tops it with sweet cherries.

10. Savory Cherry Sauce for Meat

The sweet acidity of cherries goes nicely with meats like pork or poultry such as turkey. Cherries cooked in a red wine sauce with herbs is really nice served with grilled steaks or pork chops. Roasted duck breast with cherries is a classic pairing. Why not create a barbecue sauce using cherries?

What is your favorite way to use summer cherries? Click here to comment.