Tasty Monthly Cherry Recipes
Every month we will showcase new seasonal recipes featuring Wisconsin cherries. You can also view an archive of our past recipes.
February 2011
This month's recipes include Dried Cherry Apple Stuffed Pork Chops and Jean's Cherry Pie.
Dried Cherry Apple Stuffed Pork Chops
Makes 6 servings
- 1 cup apple juice
- 1/2 cup fresh apple chunks
- 1/2 cup dried cherries
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 2 tablespoons croutons
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 6 pork loin chops, cut 1 inch thick
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
Instructions:
In saucepan combine apple juice and apples; simmer, covered for 25 minutes. Remove from heat. Add dried cherries and let stand 5 minutes; drain, reserving liquid. Combine cooked fruit mixture, walnuts and croutons. Stir together sugar, wine, lemon juice and ginger. Add to crouton mixture, tossing lightly to moisten. Cut pockets in fat side of chops, cutting lengthwise to bone. Spoon about 1/3 cup of the stuffing mixture into each pocket. If necessary, use wooden picks to hold pockets closed. In large skillet brown chops in hot oil. Place cops in 13x9x2 inch baking pan. Sprinkle chops with a little salt and pepper. Add 1/4 cup reserved apple liquid to pan, adding water if necessary. Bake chops, covered, in 350 degree oven 1 hour.
Jean's Cherry Pie
Makes 8 servings
Filling
- 3 cups unsweetened frozen red tart cherries, thawed
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/8 teaspoon almond flavoring
Crust
- 1 cup flour
- 1 stick margarine
- 2 tablespoons cold water
Instructions:
Drain cherries, saving juice. Add water to juice, if necessary, to make 1 1/2 cups liquid.
In a saucepan mix cornstarch with a little juice and stir until well mixed. Slowly add rest of juice and continue stirring over medium heat until mixture is clear and thick. Remove from heat. Add sugar, salt, butter and almond. Carefully stir in cherries. Cool while preparing crust.
Crust: Put flour and margarine in a mixing bowl. With pastry blender, cut in margarine until particles are about 1/4 inch in size.
Sprinkle with water, mixing lightly with a fork until all the flour is moistened.
Gather the dough together with your hand until the bowl is clean and press dough firmly into a ball. Divide into 2 balls. Roll out one piece of dough to not quite 1/8 inch thick and place in 9 inch pie pan. Put in cherry filling.
Roll out the other dough and cut into 1/2 to 3/4 inch strips. Moisten edge of bottom pastry with water. Carefully twist half of the strips and place across filling 1 inch apart. Repeat going the other way. Press strips to seal. Fold, lower crust over pastry strips and flute edge. Lightly sprinkle sugar on strips and bake 45 to 55 minutes or until done in 375 degree oven.
