May at the Market

Along with blue skies and all the sweet floral fragrances in the air, May kicks off a season to gather with friends and family—on Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, and for all the inevitable bridal showers and graduation parties soon to follow. There’s no better time than now to scope out the farmers’ market for entertaining ideas. Spring greens, tender young veggies, juicy-sweet berries, and early stone fruits abound.

As long as we still experience some chilly evenings, I like to make this French country-style dessert using fresh cherries. Warm and comforting, clafoutis (pronounced claw-foo-TEE) is simply seasonal fruit baked with a puffy, custardy batter on top. It’s also very easy to make, and, if the truth be told, a really fun word to say.

Feel free to substitute other fruits as they become available: figs, apricots, peaches, plums, grapes, and pears all work nicely. In France clafoutisis traditionally made with unpitted cherries, but living in amore litigious society has convinced me that pitting them is a better idea.

I’m a big fan of an inexpensive gadget reminiscent of a hand-held paper punch. It is designed to pit cherries (as well as olives) by pressing a plunger through the center of the fruit. Lacking one of these little gizmos, use a small, sharp knife to cut all around the cherry, beginning and ending at the stem area. Twist to separate the two halves, and use the tip of the knife to flick out the pit. Whichever method you use, it’s always best to work over a bowl to catch all those precious cherry juices, so you can add them to the batter for added flavor. To avoid staining your hands, wear protective gloves throughout the procedure…though many of us have learned to sport those pink stains with pride.

Cherry & Almond Clafoutis
3 cups farm-fresh cherries (about 1 lb.), stemmed and pitted
2 tablespoons kirsch (cherry brandy) or other brandy
1/3 cup sliced California almonds
1/2 tablespoon butter, softened; plus 1 tablespoon cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
3 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
Confectioners’ (powdered) sugar and/or crème fraîcheor vanilla ice cream

1. In a bowl, toss the cherries with the kirsch. Set them aside to macerate, tossing periodically, for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Scatter the almonds on a baking sheet and bake, stirring once or twice, until barely golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Set aside. Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Grease a 10- to 11-inch pie, quiche, or other shallow round baking dish with the 1/2 tablespoon of butter; then dust the bottom with about 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a large bowl, if using a hand mixer), mix together the eggs, the 1/4 cup granulated sugar, the milk, cream, almond extract, and salt until blended. With the machine running on Low, gradually mix in the flour. Increase the speed to Medium and mix for 5 minutes to aerate the batter. Drain the cherries and set aside, then mix the kirsch and accumulated cherry juices into the batter.
4. Pour about 1/2 cup of the batter into the prepared baking dish. Scatter the drained cherries evenly over the bottom of the dish, then carefully pour the remaining batter over the top. Bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the toasted almonds and about 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. Dot the surface with the cold butter pieces. Continue bakinguntil the clafoutis is nicely puffed and golden, and a toothpick inserted into the center shows no evidence of uncooked egg, 30 to 40 minutes.
5. Transfer to a rack and let cool for 20-30 minutes. (The clafoutis will sink slightly as it cools.) Serve warm or at room temperature, spooned onto individual dessert plates. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, if you like, or accompany with a dollop of crème fraîche or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Serves 6.

The Danville Certified Farmers’ Market, located at Railroad and Prospect, is open every Saturday, rain or shine, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. For specific crop information call the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association at 1-800-949-FARM or visit their web site at www.pcfma.com.