8 delicious recipes to make the most of cherry season

1.Grilled chicken legs with Bourbon-Cherry BBQ sauce

VIEW RECIPE: Grilled chicken legs with Bourbon-Cherry BBQ sauce

This juicy and moist barbecue dish has all the characteristics of your favorite sauce – deep caramel notes, a delicious back and a pleasant vinegary aftertaste. You can sour the sweet cherries by adjusting the amount of honey and vinegar to taste. Start with 1 cup of store-bought unsweetened cherry juice.

2. Vanilla frozen yogurt with fresh cherry swirl

VIEW RECIPE: Vanilla frozen yogurt with fresh cherry swirl

Creamy and juicy with a hint of tartness, this easy fro-yo was a clear favorite among the staff. The combination of half and half plain whole milk yogurt and a little corn syrup gives the frozen yogurt a super smooth texture.

3. Kale and wheat berry salad with fresh cherry sauce

VIEW RECIPE: Kale and wheat berry salad with fresh cherry sauce

Fresh cherries do double duty and are both in the dressing (where they are pureed) and in the finished salad. Kale has a rich, slightly strong texture, but softens nicely when rubbed with salt. If you prefer to use baby cabbage, you can skip the massage. If you have trouble finding watermelon radishes, any radish will do just fine

4. Cherry goat cheese ice cream

VIEW RECIPE:Cherry goat cheese ice cream

This creamy goat cheese-based ice cream features seasonal Bing cherries with an intensely sweet and tangy flavor. Make homemade waffle cones for serving (and a fun display!). Keep ice cream in the freezer for when your sweet tooth strikes

5. Crispy polenta cakes with mushroom and cherry ragout

See the recipe: Crusty polenta cakes with cherry-mushroom ragout Mushrooms

cherries may seem like unlikely friends, but cherries add subtle sweetness and bright acidity to savory mushrooms, resulting in a slightly sweet, salty, rich and earthy mix. This dinner is pretty easy to make, but if you want to make it ahead of time, just do it: reheat the brussels sprouts and cherry mushrooms right before serving.

6. Sweet and sour cherry tarts

See the recipe: Sweet and Sour Cherry Tarts

We like the “bare” look of a pair of tarts with just a few letters, like the one in the picture. If not, this recipe makes enough dough for each tart to have its own pie crust.

7. Vegetarian Cherry Tomato Tartare

See the recipe: Vegetarian Cherry Tomato Tartare

Traditional tartar is a pampering delicacy made with various ingredients, which we repeat here with cherries, walnuts and a surprising mixture of orange and cream. Try herbed olive oil with a baguette for contrast, or mix it with a bitter green like arugula for a salad.

8. Sprinkles of cherry basil lemonade

See the recipe: Cherry Basil Lemonade Sprinkles

Instead of a fluorescent cocktail cherry garnish, fresh cherries take center stage in this refreshing sip of lemon vodka. Sweetening the cherries with sugar helps soften their thick skin and release their juices, which become wonderfully syrupy in the pan.