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Cherries Jubilee by Gary Solomon Cherries, those dark delicious jewels. Picked ripe from the tree juicy, firm and sweet.  The cherry comes in a variety of colors. Deep red to a pale yellow flushed with a touch of red. The peak season for eating this pulpy, crisp fruit is from July through August. Your favorite market should now be stocked with this lovely fruit.   Make sure you buy the cherries dark and firm for the red variety.  This usually indicates that the fruit is sweet and fresh.  Cherries are very perishable so you will have to use them soon.  Store them uncovered in the refrigerator.  Don't wash them until you're ready to use them. This will decrease the chance of them rotting.   We find that after three days they start to soften and become less palatable.    We enjoy our cherries fresh right from a big ceramic bowl.  We would like to share our favorite recipe with you.    Cherries Jubilee.   Pound Cake-1 slice toasted.   Vanilla Ice Cream-1 large scoop.   Dark Cherries-1 cup freshly pitted sliced in halves.   Brandy-3 tablespoons.    Toast the pound cake lightly and place on a dessert plate.  Add  the large scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of it.   Place the cherries and brandy in a sauce pan and  heat  over a low flame for a few minutes until slightly warmed.  Carefully ignite the sauce.  When the flame has nearly died out, pour the sauce over the vanilla ice cream and serve immediately.        The cherry is such a popular fruit  that  it is worthy of its own party.  The town of Traverse City, Michigan is host to the National Cherry Festival that runs in July.  Cherry enthusiasts gather there once a year to celebrate the harvesting season.  If you are interested in finding some unique cherry recipes such as Sour Cream Cherry Cake and information on freezing, canning and drying,  please visit www.nwcherries.com.  This site is sponsored by the Washington State Fruit Commission and is loaded with contest winner's recipes.    Gary Solomon is the owner of The Kitchen Cupboard. One of the Kitchen Cupboard's specialties are their delicious cookies and rugelach. Visit Delicious Cookies to see for yourself! Online ordering is available. Or email Gary for further information. Gary is also the Food & Drink Editor of Why Men Are Online Magazine ©Gary Solomon. Delicious Cookies