The cherry harvest is going strong here in Washington. Though farmers were jittery after a cool and wet May, superb fruit quality coupled with buoyant prices meant good news for farmers – and a bounty of cherries for you! What’s more, various indicators suggest that fresh cherries should fill grocers’ stands through August.

That’s made us very happy here at Chukar, where we only use local fruits for our cherry-inspired confections. Not that we needed to worry; Washington grows close to 40 percent of the nation’s sweet cherries, making it America’s top producer of the fruits. Areas of the state also grow tart cherries, and made Washington the third largest producer nationwide this year, after Michigan and Utah.

What makes Washington such a great cherry state? A few factors, actually. Fertile soils, irrigation technologies, and dry climate all optimize cherry cultivation in the region. Much of this production takes place in Yakima, Grant and Benton counties – the top three farming counties in the state.   Needless to say, all three enjoy prime cherry-growing soil and, as they’re right in our backyard, provide Chukar with most of our fresh cherries.

During harvest, we transform cherries fresh-from-the-tree into pure food products, when natural sugars, flavors, and consistency are at their prime. The best and freshest cherries of the nation are the number one ingredient in our products. In other words, we’re not just Nature’s Best, we’re the nation’s best! Guaranteed.

Join Chukar Cherries in celebrating Pike Place’s 3rd Annual Fruit Festival this Sunday! Chukar Cherries and Pike Market are sponsoring family-friendly activities including several Cherry Pie-Eating Contests, Cherry Culinary Demos, and more. Bring the family and be sure to drop by Chukar’s newly renovated retail stand in the center of the main arcade building. It’s worth a look, a taste, and a take home!

Festivities start at 10am and run throughout the day. Plan to park just outside the Market.

• 10am, Chukar Cherry-inspired Culinary Demo with Dianne LaVonne of Diane’s Market Kitchen
• 11:30am and 2:30pm, 3rd Annual Pike Place Cherry Pie Eating Contest, sponsored by Chukar Cherries
• Noon to 1:30pm, Master of the Market Chef Competition, featuring Pike Market chefs and a secret Chukar ingredient!
• 1-4pm, Live Music by local band Ranger and the Rearrangers, sponsored by Chukar Cherries

For more information and a full schedule, click here. For directions to our Pike Place store, click here.

Blueberries seem to be popping up everywhere here in Eastern Washington. Fueled by a national hunger for the antioxidant-rich super-foods, farmers have gone blueberry-crazy, planting over 1500 acres in the last two years alone. And with this year promising the largest harvest yet, we couldn’t help but notice the rise of little blue fruits.

For those in Western Washington, where the berries have been grown commercially for over 50 years, blueberries may seem like old news. But Eastern Washington is a different story. Up until about ten years ago, the high pH level of the soil out here made it impossible to grow the fruits. When Chukar started, there were no blueberry farms to speak of east of the Cascades. New technology and growing techniques have all but removed those obstacles, however, making the Yakima Valley a prime area for blueberry farming.

And boy have they taken off! Production statewide has more than tripled to an expected 90 million pounds this year in only two years. All of this means that we’re enjoying a lot more fresh, local blueberries here in Washington- and can look forward to plenty more in the future. Plus, with the construction of Eastern Washington’s first organic blueberry packing plant, fans of those natural food options don’t have to feel left out of the fun.  If you’d like to experience some Washington blueberries for yourself, try Chukar’s Dried Blueberries or Cherry Blueberry Pie and Cobbler filling, or if you’re in the area, go to a local U-Pick- you may find one closer than you’d think!

Ma and Pa Chukar in France

Having been encouraged by the Chukar team to do some creative “research and development”, Ma and Pa Chukar recently embarked on a 10-day culinary tour of southern France and northern Italy.  Along with a group of food entrepreneurs from the Pacific Northwest, they savored some of the best local French and Italian produce and foods, from cold-pressed olive oil to specialty cheeses and fresh summer fruits and vegetables.

During their trip, the Chukar duo visited boutique family food companies and were inspired by the fourth- and fifth-generation owners they met. As Ma Chukar noted, these “family enterprises created and operated throughout generations with age-old recipes and a respect for quality, freshness and the best ingredients.” They also have managed to stay connected to local fare in such historic locations as Avignon, the Carmargue, and Genoa..

While we may be a bit jealous of their tasting extravaganza, Kiran Connolly, a Chukar fan from Dublin, Ireland, reminded us that we can enjoy these foods here at home using summer-ripe local cherries. She sent in a recipe from Southwest France, Clafoutis aux Cerises (Custard and Cherries).  Light, fluffy, and jazzed with tangy bursts of sweet cherries, “Clafoutis”  (pronounced kla-foo-TEE) pairs marvelously with the Northwest’s Bing cherries. In a word, oulala!

Clafoutis aux Cerises, a recipe for you cherry lovers:

Ingredients:

½ cup + 1 tablespoon superfine sugar, separated
2/3 cup plain flour
2 medium eggs
1 cup milk
1 tbspn unsalted butter, melted
1 tspn vanilla extract
1 lb fresh cherries, pitted or partially thawed frozen cherries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 9- or 10-inch round ovenproof dish with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1/2 tbpsn sugar and tilt to coat evenly. Place ½ cup of the remaining sugar, the flour, eggs, milk, butter and vanilla extract into food processor or mixer. Process to make a smooth batter.Spread cherries in the ovenproof dish. You can put them in whole. I cut them in half to make more fruit to spread around. Spread the rest of the sugar on top. Bake in oven for 35-40mins until slightly puffed and a light brown. Leave to cool and set. The clafoutis will sink a little as it does. Dust with confectioners sugar.

Perfect summer treat and can be served warm or cold. This dessert is also great with peaches or strawberries. I also make it with pear and raspberries. Don’t forget the vanilla ice cream!

It’s often the case that the simpler the recipe, the tastier the treat. That’s certainly the case with Diane LaVonne’s delicious Rustic Cherry Tarts. Combining fresh seasonal berries and fruits with Chukar’s ready-to-enjoy Pie Fillings, they’re the perfect finale to any summer meal.

If you’re planning some 4th of July festivities, top these little guys off with raspberries, blueberries and some whipped cream (or vanilla ice cream) for a scrumptious red-white and blue dessert!

Rustic Cherry Tart

Ingredients:

Directions:

Combine dry ingredients and cut-in cold butter using pastry hand blender. Add a few tablespoons of icy water (just enough to bind dough) and refrigerate for several hours, covered. Divide dough into 12 equal parts. On floured surface, roll pastry dough into 7 inch diameter circles, spoon 2 Tbsp. cherry filling into the center, and top with 2 Tbsp. fresh berries or sliced fruit. Gather the edges of the dough toward the center and pinch edges. Brush pastry edges with beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar crystals. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes until center is bubbly and crust is golden. Note: Pastry works best when all ingredients and utensils are very cold. Yields: 12, 3 inch Tarts.

Summer has finally come to the Northwest, meaning it’s high time to get out the picnic baskets and hit the beach, park or wherever else we can lay our checkered blankets.  If you’re taking advantage of the sunny weather, here are some tips and recipes we’ve found to make your picnics all the more enjoyable:

First off, when selecting condiments, make sure to avoid egg- or dairy-based sauces, which can spoil in the heat. Choose oil- or vinegar-based ones, like our Curried Cherry Chutney, instead. Not only do they pack more flavor than spreads like mayo, they’re usually healthier and keep much better.

Like with your condiments, choose your sides wisely. Potato or egg salad, usually made with mayo, can go bad and aren’t the healthiest choice. On the other hand, you can make your own light and healthy (not to mention tasty) salads using oil-based recipes like our Cherry Chicken Pasta Salad or Beet, Carrot and Cherry salad.

For dessert, the simpler the better: Take advantage of fresh summer fruit, like cherries, apricots, nectarines and peaches, for a healthy palate cleanser. Or bring along treats like our Knapsack Cookies, which are easy to pack and enjoy, but won’t melt in the warm sun.

Given how much Dads love a good barbeque, we can’t help but think it’s not an accident that Father’s Day takes place during prime grilling season. Which is why we think Father’s Day is the perfect day to try out some of these simple and delicious recipes for one of our favorite off-the-grill treats: cherry-inspired skewers.

For a truly quick and easy recipe, cut 1 red, 1 green and 1 yellow pepper, plus an onion or two, into large chunks, and cube 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Alternate skewering the peppers, onions and chicken onto 10 pre-soaked wooden skewers, then baste with the Cherry Chipotle Barbeque Sauce, Pa Chukar’s BBQ sauce recipe or Curried Cherry Chutney.

Now that fresh cherries are in season, you may also want to try this recipe from Northwest Cherries, which uses a Fresh Cherry Balsamic Sauce as a yummy marinade for any number of proteins. Skewer with corn, or veggies like the ones above.

The more adventurous grillers might want to try a classic Chukar recipe: the Chicken-Komquat Skewers. The combination of sour, savory and sweet makes for a delicious and unique BBQ experience. Baste the chicken with the Cherry Chipotle Barbeque Sauce or dip in the Spicy Cherry Catsup for a bite of spice.

Of course, while Dad’s waiting for the grill to fire up, treat him to the Big Daddy Jar, chock full of wholesome dried Bing Cherries, cranberries and pistachios.

As you’re probably aware, we at Chukar love local food. It’s fresh, it’s wholesome, it’s the reason we work here. So to say that we’re excited about the return of Farm Days at Pike Place Market might be a bit of an understatement.

For three days a week, the cobblestones of Pike Place are overtaken by farmer’s stands offering a bounty of fresh, local produce, which we intend to put to good use in the kitchen, on the grill and on our plates.

If you’re not in the Seattle area, never fear. Farmer’s markets are sprouting up in neighborhoods and towns across the country, meaning more and more communities have access to the same delicious ingredients that Seattleites have been accustomed to for decades. To find your nearest market, check out LocalHarvest.org, one of our favorite sites for all things localivore.

Update from Yakima’s Cherry Orchards

Can’t wait for fresh Washington cherries? Neither can we. Which is why we’re so happy about the latest predictions about this year’s cherry harvest!

According to estimates from the Washington State Fruit Commission, this year’s harvest will start on June 3rd, which is much earlier than the average June 15th.

Better still, the season will extend til mid-August (the 20th is the current estimate), meaning we’re going to have almost 80 days of fresh-off-the-tree cherries to enjoy this year!

And if that’s not enough good news: the cherries are expected to be large in size, meaning that they’ll be extra sweet and juicy. Just the way we like ‘em.

Rest assured, as soon as Yakima Valley cherries are available, we’ll let you know. Plus we’ll be posting lots of fresh cherry recipes, so you can put those yummy fruits to good use! (Of course, if you can’t wait, you can check out some of our favorites in our online Recipe Box right now.)

Pike Place Cheese Festival

Cheese-lovers, brace yourselves! The Pike Place Cheese Festival is almost upon us: a weekend-long extravaganza of cheese-makers both local and exotic. Which got us thinking: we love dried cherries, we love cheese—surely the two should go together.

To test our theory, we did a little pre-festival tasting. Our first stop was Beecher’s Cheese for their famous Flagship Cheese. Sure enough, the manager had long been a fan of the Chukar-Beecher combo. Her favorite pairing? The Smoked Flagship with Dried Rainier Cherries.

The next stop was Quality Cheese, a small yet wonderful cheese stand ‘wedged’ between Frank’s Produce and the Oriental Mart. Brie was the name of the game, and we picked some up to be baked with our Berry & Pistachio Mix.

Our last stop was the Main Arcade, where we picked up a carton of fresh, local goat cheese. We know that Cracker + Goat Cheese + pretty much any Chukar Dried Fruit Mix (or Preserve) = AMAZING, but for the sake of science, we went simple and topped them with Cherry Medley.

Needless to say, all of the combinations were exceptionally delicious. The light sweetness balances both saltiness and creaminess, pairing well with pretty much any cheese. Dried fruit also cleanses the palate, making it a wonderful accompaniment to your cheese tasting. So be sure to stop by our booth in the Main Arcade before you head out to the tasting, or drop by afterwards to find a Chukar treat to go with your new favorite cheese. Bon appétit!