French Cooking: Tarte aux cerises

As far as cherry trees go in Toulouse, I have the “runt of the litter” as my husband so nicely put it yesterday. Yes, our cherry tree is sort of stunted, crooked and misplaced. But our faithful fruit-bearing tree produces enough cherries to make several wonderful tartes. I go outside early in the morning with my little straw basket to gather my cherries (trying to get there before the birds!). I watch, in awe, as my neighbors mount their ladders to collect their fruit. But I am sure that I have the best recipe in the neighborhood for an easy and wonderful dessert.  The cherry has a long history. It is said that the cherry dates back to as far as 300 BC and was named after the Turkish city of Cerasus. Well, there is even a sensuous quality to them because it was in the film “Cleopatra” that Liz Taylor used a cherry for her lipstick. How about ‘dem cherries!  Tarte aux cerisesCherry Tart  For 4-6 personsCooking time: 30 minutes  1 pie crust flakey, defrosted2 cups fresh cherries, pitted1 cup heavy cream1 cup sugar½ tsp. vanilla1 tbsp. cornstarch2 eggs2 tbsp. apricot or cherry preserves (melted in a small pot)  Preheat the oven to 350. Prick the pie crust with a fork and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven. In a large bowl beat with a whisk the eggs, cream, vanilla, and cornstarch. Place the cherries on top of the pie crust. Pour the cream mixture over the cherries. Bake for 25 minutes. When cooled, brush gently with the apricot or cherry preserves.   Et voilà.   April Paute moved to France over 10 years ago with her husband Jean Michel and 2 Siamese cats. Armed with only a dictionary and hand signals, she took on the challenge of requesting the local boucher decapitate a chicken for her. After living in Paris and Antibes, April & co. have settled in Toulouse, where she draws inspiration from her herb garden.