Cherries Jubilee
Over the Memorial Day weekend, we found ourselves driving through Brentwood on the way to a tournament in Stockton. And, it was all I could do not to blow off baseball and spend time in the cherry orchards. The signs were everywhere announcing that the orchards were open for picking. It was killing me not to stop.

The good news is that the boys played well. The bad news is we came home too late to do some pickin’. Some of our friends from other teams got to stop…and I am so jealous. And, they now are the proud owners of buckets of cherries that they can use to make tasty treats like this Cherry Clafoutis that is relatively simple to make.

Alas, our schedule is booked yet again for this coming weekend. Otherwise, I’d be heading out there, bucket in hand. So, if you find yourselves with nothing to do this weekend, consider enjoying some fantastic weather and a little taste of heaven from the trees.

And, you can get directions and other information here to help you find your perfect Brentwood cherry picking spot…

Cherry Clafoutis
Adapted from Julia Child
Yields: 6 to 8 servings for dessert, or 4 for breakfast.
We like to make our Cherry Clafoutis in a blender—it is incredibly easy!

Ingredients
1 1⁄4 cups milk
2⁄3 cup sugar, divided in half
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1⁄8 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 cup flour
3 cups cherries, pitted
powdered sugar, for garnish

Directions
Preheat oven to 350º F.

Combine the milk, 1/3 cup sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and flour, and blend.

Lightly butter an 8-cup baking dish or cast-iron skillet, and pour a 1/4-inch layer of the blended mixture over the bottom. Set remaining batter aside.

Place dish into the oven for about 7-10 minutes, until a thin layer of batter sets in the pan. But, the mixture should not be baked through. Remove the pan from oven, and leave the oven set at 350º F.

Distribute the pitted cherries over the set batter, then sprinkle with the remaining sugar. Pour the remaining batter over the cherries and sugar.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 60 minutes—or until the clafoutis is puffed and brown. A knife inserted into the center should come out clean.

Served the clafoutis while it is still warm, and sprinkled with powdered sugar.