JUBILANT CHERRIES.

Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor

Bite into a fresh, juicy Bing cherry -- the skin will snap or pop, then explode into a delicious sweet, slightly tart profusion of flavor.

Most can't just stop at one or two -- or even five or six. But the good news is that cherries are low in calories (about 75 per cup of the unpitted fruit).

Despite this year's disastrous California fresh cherry season (from the last week in April to the tail end of June), it's the peak of the Pacific Northwest cherry season -- and all indications are that the crop is going to be one of the largest ever.

``We have a good season going in the Northwest (the season will run into mid-August),'' says David Severn, promotion director of Northwest Cherry Growers, which represents cherry growers in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Utah.

``We're looking to produce more cherries than ever before, and the crop has the potential to be a record-breaking one -- with 140,000 tons of cherries -- 15 percent more than last year's biggest Northwest crop ever of 120,000 tons of cherries.''

That means consumers can expect to see plenty of terrific fresh Bing, Rainier and other sweet cherry varieties during the next month.

Usually, the Northwest produces about 70 percent of the fresh, sweet cherry crop grown in the U.S. (about 30 percent of it is exported), with California accounting for the other 30 percent. But that wasn't the case this year.

``We (California) had 50 percent of a normal crop this year due to cold and rainy weather during bloom in March (so you don't get much fruit set),'' says Jim Culbertson, executive manager of the Lodi-based California Cherry Advisory Board, representing growers of Bing and Rainier cherries in the state.

There are about 45,000 acres of cherry orchards in the Northwest today, says Severn, adding that growers have been working hard to produce later-variety cherries at higher elevations to extend the season. Many are replacing apple orchards with cherries these days because the apple market is bad -- and you can make more money with cherries, notes Kyle Mathison, one of the owners of Stemilt Growers, Wenatchee, Wash.

Cherry acreage in California (26,000 acres in 2004) has been steadily increasing, with 1,000 acres being added yearly over the last 15 years.

Bing cherries account for 65 percent of the Northwest crop and about 75 percent of the California crop, with Rainier representing 12 percent of the Northwest crop and only 2 percent of California's. In the Northwest, Lapins make up 15 percent of the crop, while other dark, sweet varieties such as Sweetheart, Chelan, Tieton and Skeena account for the bulk of the remainder.

``Rainier, a yellow cherry with a red blush, is the sweetest cherry we produce -- and it is 20 percent sweeter than Bings and other cherry varieties,'' points out Severn.

``Rainiers are a really good cherry, but they bruise easily and must be handled more gently,'' says Culbertson, adding that because of the lighter color, bruises are more readily noticed.

``We would have more (Rainiers) if they weren't so much work,'' says Mathison. ``You have to be patient to grow Rainiers.''

Since cherries don't change or ripen once they are picked, bear in mind that if Bings are picked when a fire-engine red color, they won't be as sweet as those picked at a dark mahogany color, but they will have a longer shelf life, says Culbertson. ``You always have to strike a compromise when harvesting.''

With the average household buying cherries only 2.1 times a year and only 27 percent of U.S. households purchasing them, there's a lot of room to grow the cherry category, says Severn.

Natalie Haughton, [phone]

[e-mail]

CHERRY BRUSCHETTA 

18 slices (1/2-inch thick) small baguette-style bread (from a 2-inch diameter loaf)

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pitted fresh sweet cherries

1/4 cup EACH chopped cilantro and diced yellow sweet pepper

2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 teaspoon grated lime peel

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt 

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 

2 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese

1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh basil

Toast one side of baguette slices in a preheated 350-degree oven 5 minutes. Turn slices, brush with olive oil and bake 5 minutes longer. Combine cherries, cilantro, yellow pepper, green onions, lime juice, lime peel, salt, pepper and remaining olive oil; mix well. Top each slice of baguette with a thin slice of fresh mozzarella cheese, a heaping tablespoon of cherry mixture and sliced basil. Serve warm or cold.

Makes 18 appetizers

CHERRY CHICKEN WRAPS

1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice

1 cup pitted, quartered fresh Rainier cherries

1 cup diced, cooked chicken breast

1/2 cup diced green bell peppers

1 tablespoon chopped shallots

Mustard Balsamic Dressing

Green leafy OR iceberg lettuce 

Mix brown rice, cherries, chicken, green peppers and shallots. Drizzle Mustard Balsamic Dressing over mixture and toss lightly until well mixed. Place 1/2 cup rice mixture in each leaf of lettuce. Fold stem end over mixture and roll into flute shapes. Serve to eat out-of-hand.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

MUSTARD BALSAMIC DRESSING: Combine 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon EACH red wine vinegar and olive oil, 1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard, 1/2 teaspoon EACH salt and crushed dried thyme and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; mix well. Makes about 1/4 cup.

SUMMER FRUIT SMOOTHIES

1 cup pitted fresh sweet cherries

1 cup fresh 1-inch peach OR nectarine cubes

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

1 cup crushed ice

Place all ingredients in a blender container. Blend mixture until smooth.

Makes 2 servings

CHERRY BALSAMIC SAUCE

1 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup pitted, chopped fresh sweet cherries

1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage

1 teaspoon EACH chopped fresh rosemary and thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground pepper

1/2 cup pitted, halved fresh sweet cherries

Mix vinegar and olive oil in a saucepan; over medium heat, reduce mixture to 1/2 cup. Add 1/2 cup chopped cherries, mustard, sugar, herbs, salt and pepper; simmer 10 minutes.

Reserve 1/2 of sauce to use as a marinade on a steak, chicken or fish (brush on and let stand 30 minutes prior to grilling).

Add 1/2 cup halved cherries to remaining sauce; return mixture to a boil and simmer about 1 minute. Serve with grilled meat, poultry or fish.

Makes 4 servings.

CAESAR-STYLE CHERRY CHICKEN SALAD

2 quarts cut romaine lettuce

2 cups pitted fresh sweet cherries

2 cups sliced (2 1/2x1/2x1/2-inch) cooked chicken breast

Easy Parmesan Croutons

Lime Dressing

2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese 

Toss lettuce, cherries, chicken and Easy Parmesan Croutons in a large salad bowl. Just before serving, pour Lime Dressing over salad, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and toss lightly.

Makes 6 servings

EASY PARMESAN CROUTONS: Cut 3 slices day-old bread into 1/2-inch cubes. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese. Heat in a nonstick skillet over medium heat 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown; stir frequently. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

LIME DRESSING: Combine 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 1 small clove crushed garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon grated lime peel and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground coarse black pepper. Beat in 1/3 cup olive oil until blended. Remove garlic clove before pouring over salad. Makes about 1/2 cup.

CHERRY SURPRISE BUNDLES

2 cups pitted, halved fresh sweet cherries

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch 

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

24 sheets filo dough

2 tablespoons butter, melted

6 tablespoons whipped cream cheese

1 tablespoon milk

3 fresh sweet cherries, halved

Combine 2 cup cherries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, lemon peel and cinnamon; mix well. Cut sheets of filo dough into 8-inch square pieces. (Save remaining pieces of filo for another use.) Keep filo covered with waxed paper and slightly damp dish towel. Working with 4 cut squares of filo at a time, brush each sheet with melted butter and stack with corner of each on the straight edge of the previous square. Place 1 tablespoon cream cheese in the center of each stack of filo. Top with 1/3 cup cherry mixture. Brush outer edge of filo dough with milk. Gather edges and form a bundle. Squeeze filo toward center to close bundle. Place half a cherry in center of top. Place bundle on lightly oiled baking sheet. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven 20 minutes or until browned and crisp.

Makes 6 servings

ICY CHERRIES AND CREAM

1 pound fresh sweet cherries with stems, rinsed

1/2 cup dairy sour cream OR creme fraiche 

1/2 cup brown sugar OR powdered sugar

Place crushed ice in a large bowl or ice bucket. Top with cherries with stems. Serve with sour cream and brown sugar for dipping.

Makes about 6 servings

SERVING TIP: Just before serving, add water to just below cherries.

CHERRY TIDBITS 

Select plump, glossy, hard fruit with green stems. The greener the stem, the fresher the cherry. And generally the bigger the cherry the better the flavor. Those with dark mahogany (to almost black) or reddish brown skin usually have the most flavor. Keep in mind that once picked, cherries do not ripen. When selecting Rainier cherries, look for golden yellow color with a red blush. A small amount of light brown spotting on the skin indicates an extra-sweet spot.

Avoid overly soft, leaking or decayed cherries and those with wrinkled skin and dark stems.

Nowadays, cherries are packed in assorted-size resealable clamshells and other bags. Occasionally you'll find them in bulk, but retailers prefer selling them pre-packaged to avoid overhandling and bruising.

Be sure to refrigerate cherries (without rinsing) as soon as possible after buying to maintain shelf life -- which ranges from a few days to a week, depending on when the cherries were picked and how they were handled prior to purchasing. Check cherries occasionally and remove any that have gone bad. Rinse cherries just before eating or using.

To pit cherries to use in cooking, a cherry pitter, available at kitchenware shops, is handy.

Figure that a pound of cherries will yield about 2 1/2 cups of pitted fruit.

A cup of sweet cherries with pits has about 74 calories, 19 grams carbohydrate, 2.5 grams dietary fiber, 260 milligrams potassium, 0.23 grams fat and no sodium or cholesterol, while 1 cup of pitted sweet cherries has 91 calories, 23 grams carbohydrate, 3 grams dietary fiber, 322 milligrams potassium, 0.29 grams fat and no sodium or cholesterol.

If you end up with extra cherries, freeze them (they won't wrinkle, discolor or change flavor when frozen). Simply rinse (stems, pits and all) in cold water, drain and dry thoroughly, pack in plastic freezer bags or freezer-proof containers, remove excess air, close tightly and freeze. Use within six months to a year. Serve partially frozen for best texture and flavor.

-- Natalie Haughton

CAPTION(S):

8 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) SWEET!

CHERRIES ARE IN SEASON!

(2 -- color) CHERRY BRUSCHETTA

(3 -- color) CHERRY SURPRISE BUNDLES

(4 -- color) ICY CHERRIES AND CREAM

(5 -- color) CHERRY CHICKEN WRAPS

(6 -- color) CAESAR-STYLE CHERRY CHICKEN SALAD

(7 -- color) CHERRY BALSAMIC SAUCE

(8 -- color) no caption (cherries)

Box:

CHERRY TIDBITS (see text)