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Cherries, one of my favourite fruits, are arriving in the market right now. Deep red Bings have always been popular, but I especially love the luscious white cherries known as Rainier for eating out of your hand. Sour cherries or tart red cherries make the best pie. The only issue with cherries is that they need to be pitted. Cherry pitters are available at kitchen shops or you can ease out the pits with a paring knife. Tart red cherries just need a little pinch and out they come.

DUCK BREAST WITH CHERRIES

A magical combination, better I think than classic duck à l'orange. Serve with couscous and sautéed rapini or dandelion greens.

what you need

2 duck breasts, about 12 ounces (350 grams) each

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Sauce:

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 cup port or sherry

1½ cups chicken stock

¼ teaspoon dried chili flakes

8 ounces (250 grams) cherries, stalks and pits removed

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

What you do

Preheat oven to 450 F. Score duck skin in 1-inch intervals. Rub salt and pepper into duck breasts.

Place breasts skin side down in a cold pan. Turn heat to medium and cook 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook about 15 minutes or until fat is rendered.

Drain fat as it accumulates in pan. Turn over and cook another 2 minutes.

Transfer breasts skin side up onto a rack over a baking pan and bake for 7 to 10 minutes or until slightly pink.

Discard remaining fat from skillet while breasts are baking. Increase heat to high and add vinegar and sugar. Cook until sticky, add port and reduce to a glaze. Add stock and chili flakes, and boil for 3 to 4 minutes or until sauce is thickened and reduced. Add cherries and simmer a few minutes.

Remove pan from heat and swirl in butter. Slice duck breasts and place on plate. Glaze with sauce. Serves 2 to 3.

SWEET-AND-SOUR CHERRIES

Perfect as a condiment for summer barbecues or an accompaniment to cheese plates. The relish keeps about 2 weeks.

what you need

1/4 cup red wine

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 2-inch cinnamon stick

1 star anise

2 cup pitted red cherries

what you do

Combine red wine, balsamic vinegar, red-wine vinegar and sugar in small saucepan over medium heat. Add cinnamon stick and star anise and bring to boil. Add cherries and simmer for 5 minutes or until cherries are soft.

Remove from heat and cool.

Place cherry mixture in a jar and let sit at room temperature overnight. Refrigerate. It will last several weeks. Makes about 2 cups.

LATTICE-TOPPED CHERRY PIE

Cherry pie is my favourite pie and perhaps my favourite dessert. When my family first immigrated to Canada from Scotland, I became addicted to it.

Those tart, jewel-red cherries suspended in a thick cornstarch glaze surrounded by flaky pastry gave me comfort while I tried to learn to adjust to life in Canada.

My addiction did little for my waistline, but lots for my emotional stability. Quick-cooking tapioca works best if you whirl it in the food processor or mini-chop to make it more flour like.

what you need

1 recipe short-crust pastry (recipe below)

1 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca

Pinch salt

5 or 6 cups pitted sour cherries

what you do

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Divide pastry into two equal portions. Roll out one half and line a 9-inch pie plate leaving a one inch overhang. Reserve other portion of dough. Chill pie crust and remaining dough until needed.

Combine sugar, tapioca and salt in a bowl. Place cherries in a large bowl and toss with sugar mixture until coated. Fill chilled pie shell with cherry mixture.

To make lattice top: Roll reserved pastry to 1/8-inch thick. Using a ruler and a pizza wheel, cut 16 ¾-inch strips. Lay 8 strips across the pie in one direction, leaving about ¾-inch gap between strips. To weave a lattice crust, gently fold back every other strip starting with the first strip on the left. Lay one strip of dough across top end of pie, perpendicular to original strips. Replace the folded strips.

Starting with the second strip from the left, fold back alternating strips. Lay another strip of dough parallel to the first crosswise strip, leaving ¾-inch of space between. Replace folded strips. Continue folding back alternating strips until lattice is woven. Or just lay one set of strips on and place the other on top.

Trim all pastry to about ½-inch overhang. Moisten the bottom crust with water and lightly press strips to it to seal together. Fold bottom crust overhand over the lattice ends and pinch together, making either a fluted or plain crust edge.

Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 F and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour more or until juices are bubbling and thick. Serve warm or cold.

SHORT-CRUST PASTRY

This flaky short-crust pastry is perfect for all fruit pies. Use trans fat-free shortening or all butter.

what you need

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup butter, cubed

1/4 cup trans fat-free shortening, cut in pieces

1/3 cup cold water

1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice

what you do

Sift together flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter and shortening until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

Combine water and vinegar or lemon juice. Add enough liquid to gather pastry into a ball and knead together for 1 minute. Divide dough into two equal portions.

Alternatively, place flour, salt, butter and shortening into a food processor. Pulse together. Add liquid but do not let pastry form a ball in the processor. Knead it together on a floured board by hand. Roll out as needed or wrap in plastic wrap and chill.

Makes enough pastry for one 9- or 10-inch two-crust pie.