During a recent trip to Nashville, I stopped into Bits & Pieces Antique Boutique where I happened upon a copy of Cherry Ames, Camp Nurse by Helen Wells. I grabbed it off the shelf straightaway and while ringing up the sale, the cashier asked me, “What’s the deal with this Cherry Ames, anyway?”
“Well...” I leaned in and proceeded to tell her all about the utterly charming (and often hilarious) series.
Much like Nancy Drew, Cherry solves mysteries. But unlike the titian-haired teen detective, young Cherry is a rosy brunette and a nurse. Her profession leads her to be installed in any number of absurd situations (in over 20 books written between 1943-1968), where she must save the day, while applying cold compresses, administering tinctures, or taking temperatures.
Rest Home Nurse, Mountaineer Nurse, Dude Ranch Nurse, and Companion Nurse are all compelling titles, but among those I’ve read, my favorite is Cherry Ames, Department Store Nurse. Cherry has moved on to working in the infirmary of Thomas and Parke’s, a New York department store—only to discover someone has pinched a rose diamond necklace from Mrs. Julian on the antiques floor.
Cherry goes home to Hilton, Illinois for a visit and is necessarily grilled: “During the balance of dinner, Cherry’s mother kept the questions to what nursing in a department store was like.”
It’s not really clear what the Ames’s were eating on their best china, but my thoughts went to cherries and the marvelous Fruitful cookbook by Brian Nicholson and Sarah Huck, which features “four seasons of fresh fruit recipes.” I met the authors ten years ago at their launch party and I’ve particularly enjoyed returning to this cookbook every summer. As we are at a point when cherries are at their most flavorful, I wanted to include a recipe for smoked duck toasts (from Fruitful) and a chilled soup featuring the garnet-colored gems, in honor of Cherry Ames.
Fresh is usually the best way to go, however for both of these recipes jars of cherries from Trader Joe’s might be preferable!
Fresh is usually the best way to go, however for both of these recipes jars of cherries from Trader Joe’s might be preferable!
Smoked Duck and Cherry Confit Toasts
Adapted from Fruitful
Makes 4 to 6 servings
My suggestions in italics
Ingredients
2 tbs unsalted butter
1 small shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 tsp finely chopped rosemary
12 oz sweet cherries, pitted (2 cups)/1 16.2 oz jar pitted Amarena cherries from Trader Joe’s
1 tb granulated sugar
2 tbs brandy
1/4 tsp sherry vinegar, plus more to taste
Pinch fine sea salt
8 (1/2-inch thick) slices rye bread (consider slicing into strips to make appetizers for a small group instead)
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbs whole-grain mustard (a nice Dijon is also good)
1 pound smoked duck breast, thinly sliced (try chopped smoked ham or cured sausage if duck is scarce)
1 cup torn arugula leaves (or baby/micro arugula)
Method
Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook until soft and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in the rosemary and cook for 30 seconds. Add the cherries and sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until cherries are caramelized, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons of water. Cook, breaking up the cherries with a spoon, until the mixture bubbles and begins to thicken. Add the brandy and cook until cherries are soft and saucy. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the vinegar and salt. Set the compote aside to cool. (This can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for about a week.)
Preheat the broiler. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet and drizzle the tops with oil. Place the bread under the broiler until it is lightly toasted, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Slather one side of each toasted bread slice with mustard. Top each toast with sliced duck, a spoonful of compote, and a small handful of arugula. Serve immediately.
Adapted from Fruitful
Makes 4 to 6 servings
My suggestions in italics
Ingredients
2 tbs unsalted butter
1 small shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 tsp finely chopped rosemary
12 oz sweet cherries, pitted (2 cups)/1 16.2 oz jar pitted Amarena cherries from Trader Joe’s
1 tb granulated sugar
2 tbs brandy
1/4 tsp sherry vinegar, plus more to taste
Pinch fine sea salt
8 (1/2-inch thick) slices rye bread (consider slicing into strips to make appetizers for a small group instead)
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbs whole-grain mustard (a nice Dijon is also good)
1 pound smoked duck breast, thinly sliced (try chopped smoked ham or cured sausage if duck is scarce)
1 cup torn arugula leaves (or baby/micro arugula)
Method
Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook until soft and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in the rosemary and cook for 30 seconds. Add the cherries and sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until cherries are caramelized, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons of water. Cook, breaking up the cherries with a spoon, until the mixture bubbles and begins to thicken. Add the brandy and cook until cherries are soft and saucy. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the vinegar and salt. Set the compote aside to cool. (This can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for about a week.)
Preheat the broiler. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet and drizzle the tops with oil. Place the bread under the broiler until it is lightly toasted, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Slather one side of each toasted bread slice with mustard. Top each toast with sliced duck, a spoonful of compote, and a small handful of arugula. Serve immediately.
On to soup! I made this thrilling pink soup years ago, but only recently realized I neglected to post the recipe for it, so here you go.
“This Hungarian dish is a dessert disguised as a soup. Morello cherries in light syrup, like the one’s sold at Trader Joe’s stores, are ideal.”
Hungarian Chilled Cherry Soup aka Meggyleves
Adapted from Saveur
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Hungarian Chilled Cherry Soup aka Meggyleves
Adapted from Saveur
My comments in italics
Ingredients
2 (24 oz) jars of pitted sour cherries (preferably morellos), with their juice (Alternatively, you may use 1 3/4 lbs. fresh bing cherries, stemmed and pitted, or 1 1/2 lbs. frozen bing cherries with 2 3/4 cups sour or regular cherry juice.) OR about 2 16.2 oz jars of Trader Joe’s Amarena cherries
1⁄2 tsp kosher salt
1 stick cinnamon
1 slice (1/2"-thick) lemon
1 (8 oz) container sour cream
STEP 1
Add cherries, with their juice, to a 4-quart saucepan. Add salt, cinnamon stick, and lemon. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until cherries are soft, about 5 minutes.
STEP 2
In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream and 1⁄4 cup of hot cherry liquid from pan. Remove pan from heat; stir in sour cream mixture. Chill the soup and serve.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
2 (24 oz) jars of pitted sour cherries (preferably morellos), with their juice (Alternatively, you may use 1 3/4 lbs. fresh bing cherries, stemmed and pitted, or 1 1/2 lbs. frozen bing cherries with 2 3/4 cups sour or regular cherry juice.) OR about 2 16.2 oz jars of Trader Joe’s Amarena cherries
1⁄2 tsp kosher salt
1 stick cinnamon
1 slice (1/2"-thick) lemon
1 (8 oz) container sour cream
STEP 1
Add cherries, with their juice, to a 4-quart saucepan. Add salt, cinnamon stick, and lemon. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until cherries are soft, about 5 minutes.
STEP 2
In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream and 1⁄4 cup of hot cherry liquid from pan. Remove pan from heat; stir in sour cream mixture. Chill the soup and serve.
