| You might say I've been on a bit of a cherry bender. You know how it is when you find seasonal fruit, fresh off the tree, and you just can't stop eating it. I didn't grow up with easy access to locally grown cherries, but here in the D.C. area, they seem to be everywhere. On a recent afternoon, my husband and I were on our way back from a hike and saw a U Pick sign for sweet ones. With our harvest, we made lots of sweet cherry things, including cherry ice cream, cherry pie and Aaron Hutcherson's cherry clafoutis, made with the almost-purple variety. I love the ease of clafoutis. You place the pitted cherries in a skillet, whir the batter up in a blender, pour it over, sprinkle a little sugar on top and bake. It's that simple. (I ate mine with a bit of honey-sweetened Greek yogurt, cause why not gild the lily a bit.) Aaron jumped from cherries into all the other stone fruit ripening now — or coming soon — in a guide to the summer bounty. Stay tuned. We expect to dig into sour cherries next week as well as share recipes for cherry hand pie and peach pie and who knows what else! It was a batch of gorgeous mushrooms at a farmers market that made me try this recipe for Mushrooms With Chiles, Limes and Mint. This is one of my favorite ways to eat the fungi. You saute the water out of them and then toss them with a flavorful dressing. If you're grilling this weekend, check out Joe Yonan's Weeknight Vegetarian column, which features sweet potatoes grilled right on the embers, which "drive(s) the smoke from the exterior of the skin to the center of the vegetable," according to grilling expert Steven Raichlen. The potatoes are drizzled with a lemony yogurt and dusted with dukkah, an Egyptian spice/nut blend. I can't wait to try this the next time we pull out the grill. If you want to talk about food or cooking, join us for our weekly chat on Wednesday, July 14, at noon (ET). This week we plan to discuss why we include recipes and dishes from all over the world in our work. Check out G. Daniela Galarza's essay "Stop calling food 'exotic'" and join us. Please feel free, however, to ask about anything food or cooking related. You must register, but you don't have to be a Post subscriber to participate. Can't join us live? Go ahead and submit a question or comment now.
*** Want more weeknight recipes? Sign up for Daniela's Eat Voraciously newsletter and you'll get an adaptable, quick dinner recipe delivered to your inbox every Monday-Thursday.  (Scott Suchman for The Washington Post/food styling by Lisa Cherkasky for The Washington Post) Cherries shine in this rustic, casual dessert that's a cinch to prepare. By Aaron Hutcherson ● Read more » | | | Mushrooms are mostly water, but when you cook away that moisture, you're left with deep, concentrated flavors. By Ann Maloney ● Read more » | | | Vegetables have "self-smoking architecture," says grilling guru Steven Raichlen. By Joe Yonan ● Read more » | | | Sesame paste, chile oil, soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar and ginger infuse this bang bang chicken dinner with punchy flavors. By G. Daniela Galarza ● Read more » | | | Fans of the popular Greek pie, spanakopita, will relish this spaghetti with spinach, feta and dill. By Ellie Krieger ● Read more » | | | |
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