i get a little nutty about sour cherries.  i get a little crazy.  a little nostalgic.  let me start from the beginning.  i tend to…personify inanimate objects.  we’ve all seen “toy story”;  i basically lived under the belief that everything was alive when i was little. everything. some kids had imaginary friends – that’s normal.  i maybe thought my barbie had a soul. don’t worry, i no longer do this (ok that’s a total lie).

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of all the things i personified growing up in ohio, my favorite was the sour cherry tree that grew in our backyard.  i loved that tree. sour cherry trees are squat little guys, perfect for little girl climbing.  they are gnarly, twisted.  perfect for inventing faces in the bark. their blossoms are gorgeous and when the spring breeze whips around the yard, they spray down like a flower snow storm.  our sour cherry tree was smack in the middle of our backyard.  just past the lilac that grew outside our back kitchen door and to the right of the concord grapes.  behind it grew a row of huge pink peonies.  i loved that tree.  i loved the pie my mom made from its cherries.  i can remember one of those pies distinctly, like a revelation.  i couldn’t put my finger on it at the time, but i think what struck me about it was the nuance of cherry flavor.  the sour sweet combo. the balance of acid and sweet and fat and texture we look for in all the cooking we do.  a sour cherry pie is a perfect example of this balance we strive for.  it’s just a perfect pie.  not too sweet.  not too sour. a flaky, buttery crust.  a slight hint of vanilla. for me, nothing is better.

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so why do i get a little crazy?  well, the tree i personified and loved got struck by lightning in one of ohio’s famous thunderstorms. struck. by. lightning. it cracked right down the middle.  the horror!  and sour cherries are so elusive.  you can’t just walk into giant eagle and buy some.  they usually don’t show up fresh at market.  they’re delicate.  so when i get the chance to pick some or buy some.  i get a little…nuts.

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here’s my recipe for classic sour cherry pie.  i think most people would want a lattice crust, but for me, that’s just less delicious crust. so i skip that part.  i add a little vanilla bean (you can add extract or paste if you’ve got it).  if you even think about adding almond extract i’ll punch you in the mouth for a sin against humanity! no almond extract. ever!