Cherry Clafouti

I’m considering changing my name. Novio actually gave me the idea when he titled the video that goes with this post. He named it, “Judy Clafouti” I really like the sound of it. Kind of makes me think of Judy Tenuda, whose unique charm always made me laugh. So, what do you say? Do you think Judy Clafouti suits me? I’ll take a very casual poll, dear readers. Just comment, and let me know what you think. I won’t call in Mr. SurveyMonkey. This will be just a nice little minimalist social media affair. We’ll save blitzes for the future. So for today, Judy Clafouti: Yea or Nay??

My relationship with cherries goes back a ways… specifically bowls of them.

It’s October 1975 and I’m in a very tough place. All I want to do is have a shot at having a good life and “being just like everyone else”. I don’t’t yet know that being just like everyone else is not exactly something to aspire to. But when you’re a teen and your peers are experiencing proper teen angst and your angst is about the struggles of a whole different nature… well, maybe you get the drift.

The Chief of Pediatric Nephrology’s office is just down the hall from my room, where I am laying in bed after my body has rejected kidney transplant (Body to Kidney: I don’t like you. I don’t want you. Now go!) No one is in the other bed, so I am left to my thoughts as my mom sits beside me, on watch. I am probably contemplating just how I am going to continue now that a scud missile has torn through my life. Or maybe I’m just intent on getting through the next five minutes.

I see the doctor (we’ll call him The Chief) walking quickly by my room. He stops, pauses and enters.

“You know,” The Chief says, “life isn’t a bowl of cherries. I never said life was going to be a bowl of…”.

I look at him. My goodness. What brought that statement on? My mom glares at him.

“Can I talk with you outside?” she interjects. She exits my room with him.

For the rest of that stay, The Chief never sets foot in my room again.

That long ago incident has not in any way dampened my affection for cherries. In fact, I believe that life can indeed be a bowl of cherries. Maybe not all the time. Cherries do have a very short season.

pitted cherries

Recently, my Mom hit a period in her own life with lots of pits. But she’s a feisty one, and is working her way through it with care and love and support from all around.

admiring a birthday gift

So for my mom, for the me of long-ago and for all those who know about taking on that bowl, pits and all…. in honor of cherries, we’re going to bake a clafouti. A clafouti?

A clafouti (I like to say the word) is a custardy-cake or a cakey custard.

When Novio and I were in Santa Fe to visit our dear friends Frank and Merle, we decided to bake just that.

After we were all done, Merle remembered baking clafoutis way back when, following a recipe from a book she had kept for years. It was exactly the same but it had double the eggs and milk and more sugar. I tried that version when I returned home. I like it a LOT. Definitely more custard-y. I just have to prepare it both ways, that’s all.

Custardy Cherry Clafouti

 Now THAT”S what to do with a bowl of cherries. Besides eating them, that is.

Cakey Clafouti

CHERRY CLAFOUTI

from Almost Vegetarian by Diane Shaw (I love this unfussy book chock-full of good stuff that I love)

Ingredients:

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 425ºF.

In a food processor or blender, combine the milk, ricotta, eggs, sugar, flour and vanilla and process until smooth.

Pit the cherries, using a paring knife. Cut cherries in half. I buy over a pound and keep cutting until I have two cups. I eat the rest. I suggest you do the same.

Spread the cut-up fruit evenly over the bottom of an 8-inch ovenproof skillet or deep-dish pie plate. Pour batter evenly over the top.

Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 30-35 minutes.

Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled, cut into wedges. If you like, consider enjoying it with light whipped cram.

bb note: Enjoy a more custardy clafouti by doubling the amount of eggs and milk (4 eggs and 1 cup milk).  All other ingredients stay the same. Baking time is about 30 minutes until top is puffed and just set.

second bb note: Excellent with 2 cups of diced fresh peaches, blueberries, apples, or pears instead of cherries.

To check out the Judy Clafouti  video, click here.