Get Cooking with These Jerte Picota Cherry Dishes from UK Bloggers
We are halfway through the Jerte Picota Cherry Season, which means there is still time to eat and cook with these moreish cherries. Jerte Picota recently teamed up with several recipe developers to create mouth-watering dishes perfect for using these juicy Spanish gems while they last. Have a go at these recipes from UK food bloggers Ceri Jones, Emily Coates and Victoria Milne.
Jerte Picota Cherry, Herb and Pearl Barley Salad with Halloumi and Cherry Balsamic Glaze by Ceri Jones, Natural Kitchen Adventures (Serves 2-3)
‘I decided to work with the produce because its combination of its PDO status and short growing season meant it was a highly seasonal ingredient – something not to be missed out on. The cherries are delicious, with quite a concentrated flavour, so offered something a bit different to the other cherries we get in the summer.’
Ingredients:
- 150g pearl barley
- 160g Jerte Picota Cherries, halved and stoned
- 1 cucumber, seeded and diced
- 6 radishes, thinly sliced
- 4 spring onions, thinly sliced
- Handful pistachios, toasted and roughly chopped
- Large handful mint, parsley and dill, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ lemon, juice and zest
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- Pinch black pepper
To Serve:
- 6 slices of halloumi
Balsamic Glaze:
- 120ml Balsamic Vinegar
- 50g Jerte Picota Cherries, stoned
Directions:
- First cook your grains, put the barley in a medium saucepan and cover with water and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, and turn to a simmer, cook for 25 minutes, or until the barley is cooked through but still retains some chew. Drain and rinse well under cold water, drain again and spread out on a baking tray to cool and dry off.
- Meanwhile make your glaze. In a food processor or blender, blitz together the cherries and vinegar until well combined. Put in a heavy bottomed saucepan over a medium heat and bring to a bubble. Cook for around 10 minutes, or until the vinegar has reduced to 2 tablespoons. Don’t allow to overcook as it will caramelize and go hard. Keep an eye on it! Transfer to a ramekin to cool and wash your saucepan immediately.
- Put the cooled pearl barley in a large mixing bowl and pile in the chopped cherries, cucumber, radish and herbs. Pour in the olive oil, lemon juice and zest. Add allspice, salt and pepper, mix well and taste and adjust seasoning or oil/lemon if needed. Pile onto a serving plate and top with the pistachios.
- Using a cast-iron griddle pan cook the halloumi for 2-3 minutes on each side until ready. Serve with the salad and drizzle over the cherry glaze.
View the recipe from Ceri here.
Jerte Picota Cherry Cava Granita by Emily Coates, Emily’s Recipes and Reviews
‘I love working with brands with a history and a story. Like other PDO produce, the Jerte Picota cherries have a very special and unique way of being grown and harvested in a particular part of the world. The cherries are deliciously sweet, and very moreish too. I like that you can enjoy them on their own as a Summer snack or as a versatile ingredient in hot and cold dishes, drinks and desserts. I think my favourite way so far is added to bakes with other sweet, fresh and nutty flavours. They make a refreshing sweet treat anytime of day.’
Ingredients:
- 1 good quality bottle of Cava
- 1 punnet of Jerte Picota Cherries
- A dash of fruit cordial, such as Cherry or Summer Fruits
Directions:
- Simply remove the stones from your Picota cherries and roughly chop into small pieces.
- Add your Cava, a dash of fruit juice and cherries to a freezer safe container and allow to freeze for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- When ready, stir through and transfer to your glasses of choice. Return to the freezer until ready to serve. Add another cherry for decoration, and additional fruit cordial if required. ¡Salud!
View the recipe from Emily here.
Jerte Picota Cherry Chocolate Brownies by Victoria Milne, Best Recipes UK (Makes 12)
‘When the opportunity came about to work with Jerte Picota, I was over the moon because I absolutely love the product and really look forward to the season every year. Jerte Picota cherries are like no other, they are so sweet and delicious, and I love the fact that they are hand-picked and placed into chestnut baskets stalkless.’
Ingredients:
- 100g dark chocolate, chopped
- 100g butter, softened
- 200g light brown sugar
- 2 free range eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 100g plain flour
- 150g Jerte Picota Cherries, pitted & halved
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas mark 4. Grease and line a 20cm square cake tin.
- Put the chocolate into a bowl and place over a pan of simmering water making sure the bowl does not touch the water. Remove when melted and allow to cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, place the butter and sugar into a bowl and whisk until light and pale. Gradually beat in the eggs and vanilla extract and the mix through the flour and melted chocolate until mixed through and smooth.
- Now fold through the Jerte Picota Cherries and pour into the cake tin. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes. Allow the brownies to cool and then cut into squares. Enjoy!
View the recipe from Victoria here.
