We are putting the cherry on top of it being the weekend with not one, but TWO seasonal recipes starring dark sweet cherries! Cherries are at their ripest, so we wanted to take full advantage of these little stone fruits. Stone fruits truly shine during the summer and they are both delicious AND healthy for you. Let’s find out some of the reasons why you should enjoy stone fruits like cherries.
Immunity Boost – Stone fruits are brimming with antioxidants and vitamin C, while help to build up your immune system. Eating stone fruits year round can help to reduce the impact of seasonal colds and helps prevent viruses from entering your body.
Collagen – The high amounts of vitamin C found in stone fruits is key in producing collagen. Who doesn’t want youthful, glowing skin, healthier hair and nails, and stronger joints? Collagen is a key building block in muscle recovery and ensuring your body is in tip-top shape.
Strong Muscles & Nerves – If you’re tired of eating bananas to get your daily potassium, look no further. Stone fruits contain large amounts of the essential mineral, which keeps your nerves and muscles in good condition.
Support Healthy Weight – Stone fruits help to fight inflammation and contain a unique mixtures of compounds that help fight metabolic syndrome that can lead to heart disease and diabetes.
Improves Digestion – The amount of fiber found in stone fruits helps your body better digest foods. Stone fruit’s fiber also help you feel full longer, which helps in weight management.
We’ll talk more about what health benefits cherries specifically contain for tomorrow’s recipe. Hint – they really pack a punch with healthy goodness.
So now that we have a better understanding of how stone fruits can help boost your health, let’s dive into this simple recipe that is really perfect all year round. These bite sized toasts are allergen friendly – free of dairy, meat, soy, nuts, and eggs. You can use a gluten free baguette to eliminate gluten. And everything is ready to eat in just about 10 minutes! Just make sure you grab a toast before everyone else does and they’re all gone.
Ingredients
12 dark, sweet cherries, pitted and halved
1 container almond ricotta
12 slices crostini
1 tbsp. olive oil
12 sprigs fresh thyme
Salt
Honey (or agave for vegan)
Balsamic glaze
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
- On one pan, place your slices of crostini in a flat layer. Line another pan with parchment paper. Place your cherry halves and time on the pan and drizzle with 1 tbsp. olive oil. Sprinkle with a little salt.
- Place both pans in the oven – the crostini on the bottom rack and the cherries on the top rack. Bake for 5 – 7 minutes, until bread is toasted and cherries are soft and bubbling.
- Spread a dollop of almond ricotta on each crostini. Follow with two cherry halves and a sprig of thyme. Drizzle honey and balsamic glaze to garnish. Serve immediately.
Recipe via Heather Christo
