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living in the west June 2012
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LIVING IN THE WEST
instant backyard parties | one-day patio makeoverS | delicious grilling | paso robles weekend getaway
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Fruity drinks that make a splash P. 66
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THE WEST’S
R BI S U E To find out why Rainiers from central Washington are valued above all other cherries, we went to the source By Amy Machnak | PhotographS by John Clark
Sunset June 2012
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It’s too hazy to see Mt. Rainier, but it’s the trees in front of us, so heavy with fruit they look freckled with red, that grab my attention. We pull off a dirt road and into Mark Hanrahan’s cherry orchard, just east of the peak. I step out of the air-conditioned car and into a rush of heat—a surprise since I had assumed the Northwest would be gloomy and rainy. But, I’m quick to learn, I’m far from the overcast coast; this is central Washington, a valley of lush orchards, pristine vineyards, and 90° days. Rainier cherries are grown in other places—California, Idaho, and as far away as Turkey—but here in the Yakima Valley is where the rosy-skinned, ivory-fleshed cherry was born, and it’s so rare and delicious that it’s capable of fetching up to $10 a pound in grocery stores (twice as much as other cherries). I’ve come here to see what makes it so special. Mark walks with me under a canopy of trees. I’m immediately thankful for the shade—and am struck by the sight of the long branches above me; they look as though they’re clustered with rubies. Mark pulls off a handful of cherries and hands one to me. “Try it,” he says. I brush the skin lightly with my thumb, feeling how firm the cherry is, and how heavy it seems for its size. It’s so big that I’m a bit reluctant to pop the whole thing in my mouth, so I bite into the center, to the pit. The taut skin snaps under my teeth, releasing a flood of sun-warmed, sugary juice. I’ve had a Rainier before. But not like this—eating it in the field where it was grown, at the height of the season. The word “perfect” doesn’t even come close. Yakima County is a spectacular place to grow fruit, ranking first in the States in number of fruit trees, with everything from peach to apple. Sheltered from western Washington’s heavy rainfall by the Cascade Range, this area sees more than 300 days of sun each year. “Our climate is ideal to grow the perfect piece of fruit,” Mark says, “and the fruit is consistent every year, so retailers know that when they buy Washington Rainiers, they’re getting the best.” The effort required to grow these large, luscious cherries is part of what makes them exceptional. Farmers can lose a third of the fruit to birds, and a sudden cold snap can ruin the entire crop. We walk past groups of pickers systematically working the trees, artfully pulling only the ripe cherries from clusters of six or eight and placing (not dropping) them into buckets slung from their shoulders. There are no machines here. No tractors forcefully barreling between the trees and stripping off everything in reach. Despite the heat, the work is careful, precise, and done by hand—because the Rainier is the most fragile of all cherries. One bump or nudge visibly bruises the pale flesh, making it worthless. On a darker cherry, it wouldn’t show. The painstaking care continues all the way to the table. It’s no wonder that in Japan, a single Rainier cherry can cost as much as $2 (one importer comes to Mark’s orchard from outside Tokyo to personally choose and reserve specific lots for his clients). So I have to pick another radiant, gemlike cherry and savor every drop of precious juice.
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Sunset June 2012
GRADING THE GEMS
Diamond merchants’ four C’s (cut, color, clarity, and carats) gauge quality. With Rainiers, four S’s capture what sets them apart. Season
It’s short. The trees typically start bearing fruit toward the end of June, peak in mid-July, and finish before the end of that month. At most orchards, harvest is completed within 12 days.
Size
Rainiers are measured with a plastic template that has cutouts arranged by size. The cherries are harvested at a minimum of “11 row” (an old sizing term that means about 1 inch in diameter).
Shade
The redder the skin, the sweeter the cherry. Sometimes the fruit is speckled with dark red dots, denoting sugar clusters. Though the skin can be dark pink to brilliant crimson, the flesh remains a soft cream.
Sugar
Washington requires Rainiers at harvest to be at least 17% Brix (a sugar measurement also used for wine grapes), but they often reach well beyond 20%. For comparison, a peak-season peach is about 13%.
Harvesters at Mark Hanrahan’s orchard, one of many local farms that sell nationally under the Sage Fruit label. You can find Rainiers from Yakima Valley online at yakimacherry.com
RAINIER CHERRIES SHINE ... on a spinach salad
with brown butter ravioli
brandied
SERVES 4 | 20 MINUTES
SERVES 4 | 45 MINUTES
Substitute fresh Rainiers in recipes that call for dried cherries. Spinach salad gets a whole new life that way.
The cherries’ bursts of sweet juice offset the richness of the pasta.
MAKES 1 QT. | 20 MINUTES, PLUS COOLING AND MARINATING TIME
8 oz. thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-in. pieces 8 oz. baby spinach 8 oz. pitted Rainier cherries 2 tbsp. each Champagne vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 2 oz. shaved aged manchego cheese
1. Cook bacon in a large frying pan over medium heat, stirring often, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels and reserve bacon grease. 2. Put spinach, cherries, vinegar, oil, salt, and 2 tbsp. reserved bacon fat in a serving bowl; toss to coat. Sprinkle with bacon pieces and top with cheese. PER SERVING 245 Cal., 68% (167 cal.) from fat; 11 g protein; 19 g fat (7.1 g sat.); 11 g carbo (2.5 g fiber); 583 mg sodium; 28 mg chol.
10 oz. store-bought cheese ravioli 1/2 cup unsalted butter 3 tbsp. lemon juice About 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 3 cups pitted and halved Rainier cherries 1/4 cup toasted almonds, roughly chopped 1 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
1. Cook pasta as package directs. Drain and spread out on a shallow serving platter. Tent with foil to keep warm. 2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to mediumlow and simmer until butter starts to turn medium brown and smells nutty, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully add lemon juice and 1/2 tsp. salt (it will bubble up). Pour all but 2 tbsp. brown butter into a small bowl; keep warm. 3. Put cherries in pan of brown butter and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until hot and skins start to wrinkle, about 7 minutes. 4. Pour cherries over reserved pasta along with half of reserved brown butter. Sprinkle with almonds and thyme, and add salt to taste. Serve with remaining butter.
Rainiers are stunning in cocktails in place of fluorescent maraschinos (and are great on ice cream too). They’ll start to darken after a month, but will taste even better. 1 lb. pitted Rainier cherries 1 cinnamon stick, about 3 in. long 11/2 cups sugar 1 cup brandy
1. Put cherries and cinnamon stick into a 1-qt. sealable glass container, such as a mason jar. 2. Bring sugar, brandy, and 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan and boil until sugar has dissolved. 3. Pour hot liquid over cherries and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. 4. Seal jar and chill until cherries have shrunk and absorbed liquid and are flavorful, at least 1 month and up to 4 months. PER 1/4-cup SERVING 78 Cal., 1% (0.8 cal.) from fat; 0.4 g protein; 0.1 g fat (0 g sat.); 15 g carbo (1 g fiber); 0.4 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.
25 recipes for summer stone fruit: sunset.com/summerfruit To change background color (fill), with direct selection tool (hollow arrow) in layer palette to select “background shape” layer, then choose color from swatch palette.
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Sunset June 2012
From Left: Annabelle BreakeY (3; food styling: Kevin Crafts)
PER SERVING 314 Cal., 39% (122 cal.) from fat; 10 g protein; 14 g fat (6 g sat.); 41 g carbo (4.6 g fiber); 347 mg sodium; 41 mg chol.
To change mouse color, (fill) with direct selection tool use layer palette to select “compound shape” layer and shape layer, then choose color from swatch palette.
To change mouse tail (stroke), with direct selection tool us “mousetail” layer, then choose color from swatch palette.
THE MAN WHO MADE THE CHERRY In 1952, Harold Fogle, a scientist working at Washington State University’s cherry-breeding program in Prosser, decided to develop a cherry tree that would function solely as a pollinator (a tree that helps ensure plentiful fruit on other trees). He crossed two dark-fleshed varieties, the Bing and the Van. To his surprise, the tree yielded ivory-fleshed cherries–– and not only that, they were spectacular: sweet, juicy, blush-skinned beauties. He named them after the local peak, Mt. Rainier, and they arrived on the market in 1960. ■
What’s in season?
Apricots Choosing
Look for fruit with minimal blemishes. Green, hard fruit will be very tart and might not ripen.
Apricot baklava strudel SERVES 8 | 1 HOUR, PLUS 1 HOUR TO COOL 1/3
cup honey cup sugar, divided 12 oz. ripe apricots, quartered 1/3 cup each raw almonds and pistachios 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom 10 sheets (12 by 17 in.) filo dough 1/2 cup melted butter 1/2
1. Preheat oven to 375°. Bring honey and 1/4 cup sugar to a simmer in a saucepan, stirring to blend. Remove from heat and add apricots; set aside. 2. Whirl nuts, cardamom, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor until mostly ground. Set aside 2 tbsp. 3. Lay a piece of parchment paper on a work surface. Working with
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1 filo sheet at a time, set on paper, brush with some butter, and sprinkle with a scant 2 tbsp. nut mixture; repeat, stacking filo and pressing down to seal. 4. Spoon apricots with a bit of honey mixture on filo stack along a long side. Roll up. Arrange roll on a diagonal on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment. Brush with more honey mixture; sprinkle with reserved 2 tbsp. nut mixture. 5. Bake until browned and juices are bubbling out the ends, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely before slicing. PER SERVING 313 Cal., 53% (166 cal.) from fat; 4.7 g protein; 18 g fat (8.2 g sat.); 35 g carbo (2.6 g fiber); 217 mg sodium; 31 mg chol. Q
Keeping
eating
Apricots range from tangy-sweet and juicy to firmer and more tart—use those for cooking.
Set out for a day or so until slightly soft to the touch. Once ripe, store 3 to 4 days in a plastic bag in the fridge.
SLICE, then toss in a spinach salad with blue cheese, toasted pecans, and a sherry vinaigrette.
POACH in simple syrup with a split vanilla bean. Spoon over sliced pound cake and serve with whipped cream.
ROAST a leg of lamb or whole chicken, adding apricot halves and whole almonds to the pan in the last few minutes.
By Amy tk Machnak | photograph breakey By Author | PHOTOGRAPH BY namebytkannabelle | Food Styling by name tk 90
Sunset June 2012
food styling: Kevin Crafts
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