A SUMMERTIME DISH, SWEET OR SAVORY

 A basket of ruby-red cherries and a flat of bright cherry tomates were keeping company on my kitchen table. Why not use them in a joint effort, for a dish, either sweet or savory, full of summer’s essence?

Clafoutis is a baked fruit dish, of French origin. It’s dense and eggy, somewhere between quiche and cake. The dessert version, traditionally made with black cherries, can be made with any sweet cherry, such as the cerezas or picotas now in Spanish markets, or other stone fruit such as nectarines, peaches or apricots. The savory version is with cherry tomatoes and diced zucchini. 

Twins, sort of--cherry clafoutis at the top and cherry tomato clafoutis below. Clafoutis is a baked custardy dish, sweet or savory. 

The batter for clafoutis, somewhat like pancake batter, is quickly mixed in a blender. The sweet and savory versions are basically the same. The cherry clafoutis has sugar —but not much—added to the fruit and to the batter. The tomato version has more salt, some chopped onion and fresh herbs (I used oregano). These cherry tomatoes are so sweet that this version could have been prepared with sugar, exactly like the cherry version. 

Just to keep things interesting, I added almond flour to the fruit version and, for the savory recipe, I subbed gluten-free breadcrumbs and flour. 

Use a round, oval or square baking dish or oven-safe skillet to bake the clafoutis. They will puff up in baking, but deflate as they cool. Serve clafoutis warm or chilled, scooped or sliced. Cream is a nice accompaniment to the cherry clafoutis; Greek yogurt goes well with both the fruit and the savory one.

Cherries bake suspended in a dense custard. 

This fruit dessert is not overly sweet. Whipped cream or a dollop of Greek yogurt goes nicely with it.

The savory version, with cherry tomatoes and zucchini, is flavored with snippets of fresh oregano.

These cherry tomatoes really pop with flavor!

Clafoutis with Cherries

Flan de Cerezas

18 ounces fresh cherries, pitted (3 cups)

Olive oil for the baking dish

4 tablespoons sugar

1 ¼ cups whole milk

3 large eggs

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ cup almond flour (unsweetened)

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ cup flour

Powdered sugar (optional)

Pit the cherries. (18 ounces whole cherries made about 15 ounces, 3 cups,  pitted.) 

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Cherries in baking dish.

Lightly oil a 5-cup baking dish. Spread the cherries in the bottom of the baking dish and sprinkle them with 1 tablespoon of the sugar.

Combine 2 tablespoons of the sugar and 1 tablespoon of the oil in a blender container with the milk, eggs, vanilla, almond flour and salt. Blend at high speed until thoroughly mixed. Add the flour and mix at low speed until blended. Pour the batter over the cherries in the baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar on the top.

Bake the clafoutis until browned on top and set in the center (test with a thin skewer), about 45 minutes. Cool on a rack. Serve the clafoutis, warm or chilled, dusted with powdered sugar, if desired.

Clafoutis will puff up while baking, deflate as it cools. 

Clafoutis of Zucchini and Cherry Tomatoes

Pastel de Calabacín y Tomates Peras

Use gluten-free crumbs and flour for this recipe, if desired. 

1 cup diced zucchini

Salt

Oil for the baking dish

4 tablespoons grated aged cheese

2 tablespoons fine dry (gluten-free) breadcrumbs

8 ounces cherry tomatoes

Chopped fresh herbs

1 ½ cups whole milk

3 large eggs

1 tablespoon chopped onion

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

½ cup (gluten-free) flour

Freshly ground black pepper

Place the diced zucchini in a colander and sprinkle it generously with salt. Let it drain 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Spread zucchini, tomatoes in baking dish.

Oil a 5-cup baking dish. Combine 3 tablespoons of the grated cheese with the breadcrumbs. Spread the cheese-crumb mixture in the baking dish.

Spread the tomatoes in a single layer in the baking dish. Pat the zucchini dry and tuck it around the tomatoes. Sprinkle with a little chopped herbs.

In a blender container, combine the milk, eggs, onion and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Blend until smooth. On low speed, blend in the flour and pepper.

Pour the batter over the tomatoes. Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1 tablespoon of grated cheese. Bake until the custard is set and the top is golden-brown, about 45 minutes. Serve, hot, warm or cold.

More recipes with cherries:

Cherry Gazpacho.

Pork Tenderloin with Cherry Ketchup.

Sangría with Cherries.

More recipes with cherry tomatoes:

Sauté of Beans and Cherry Tomatoes.

Pear Gazpacho with Cherry Tomatoes.

Cucumber Gazpacho with Cherry Tomatoes.