Mango Sorbet with Cherry Mint Salad

The Bing Cherry Season has begun in California!  These sweet ruby globes are only in season for six weeks, which intensifies their appeal for Bing fanatics like me.  This diminutive fruit is sweet, juicy, crisp and tart in every explosive bite.  California, represents one-third of the nation’s sweet cherry crop, so I feel very fortunate to live here.  At the risk of using the word “localvore”, I am glad that my cherries are not shipped across the country.

My husband arrived home last Friday evening with a pound of the first reasonably priced cherries - my kids plunged in.  With scarlet hued mouths, they were in heaven.  My daughter decided to create a cherry and fresh mint salad.  Mint grows like a weed in our backyard and we are always looking for inspired ways to use it.  I immediately think these flavors will marry perfectly – I am right.  I add some Grand Marnier and sugar to create a tart syrup and served it with Mango Sorbet.  Let’s all savor these six weeks of cherry nirvana.

Time Saving Tip

Use a high quality store bought mango sorbet like Haagen Dazs or Ciao Bella

1 pint Mango Sorbet

½ pound cleaned bing cherries

2 Tbsp. fresh chopped mint

1 Tbsp. Grand Marnier

1 tsp. sugar

Remove pits from cherries (you can use a cherry pitter which runs $10-$17 or I just halve the cherries around the pit with a paring knife) and slice in quarters.  Mix cherries with mint, Grand Marnier and sugar.  Stir until a syrup forms.

Spoon cherry mixture over two scoops of Mango Sorbet.  Garnish with fresh mint.

Serves 4

Virtually Homemade

Cherry Pitter