While fresh sweet cherries are great in pies, tarts, cheesecakes and other desserts, they also enliven salads, beverages and sauces. Cherries can add color, flavor and inviting aromas to otherwise ordinary dishes. To prove the point, cook up a batch of Spicy Cherry Sauce. Sweet and sour, with a bit of a heat from the crushed red chiles, this sauce shows that cherries blend well with most every seasoning. Serve over baked or grilled chicken, fish or pork, or offer it as a dipping sauce for kebabs or shrimp.

To make full use of this versatile fruit, invest in a good cherry pitter. That way, you'll be humming "Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries" throughout the season.

Spicy Cherry Sauce

3 cups pitted Northwest fresh sweet cherries
1/2 cup each water and dry white wine
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/4 teaspoon crushed dried red chiles
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Combine all ingredients in heavy saucepan; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes or until mixture thickens; stir frequently.

Makes 1 2/3 cups.

Recipe provided courtesy Washington State Fruit Commission.