Hi, Friends
Happy Foodie Friday. So, here we are….February. And did you know it also happens to be national cherry month!
Don’t ask me why they picked February as cherry month. Seriously, how do they come up with things like this? One theory is because we celebrate Washington’s birthday in February and he supposedly chopped down a cherry tree when he was a little guy. Another theory is because cherries need attention during the winter months. For whatever reason, I do think it actually works because we’re also celebrating heart month and cherries are very good for our hearts!
In addition to being high in antioxidants which are good for heart health, they also contain fiber and potassium. In fact, 1 cup of cherries has about 80 calories, 3 grams of fiber and over 250 mg of potassium. They also contain melatonin, a hormone that can help you sleep. So overall, cherries are a great way to get some heart healthy nutrients.
The question is…how do we enjoy them this time of year if you can’t find them at the grocery store? The good news is you can consume cherry juice, dried cherries or you can purchase frozen cherries and thaw. And that’s exactly what I did for this recipe.
This week we studied French food in my international cooking class and one of my classmates made a cherry clafoutis. As I watched her make it, I knew I wanted to try it at home for myself. This is a classic French dish that is served sometimes for breakfast or dessert. It has an interesting texture and I really like baking it in a cast iron pan, but a glass pie pan or ceramic tart pan would work as well.
Enjoy!
