CherryAid Encourages Britons To Save Fruit Under Threat
by Bonnie Alter, London on 07.18.08
Cherries are so delicious in summer: fresh, plump, easy to pop in the mouth and so beautiful. Unfortunate then that over the last 50 years, Britain has lost 90% of its cherry orchards and now imports almost 95% of the cherries that are in the shops. Why? Because the traditional varieties are grown on trees that can be 30 to 40 feet high and that makes them hard to pick. Supermarkets like consistent, perfectly round little cherries and it is hard to guarantee that with varying weather conditions. In addition, orchards are disappearing due to development pressures.
So into the fray comes: CherryAid, a new campaign that urges everyone to save the British cherry by saving orchards, eating local cherries, cooking with them, encouraging their planting and celebrating National Cherry Day on July 19. Famous chefs are supporting it with their recipes and lots of local producers are making special dishes with them. You can rent a local cherry tree and pick and eat all of its cherries for the season. Or you can plant your own tree. The easiest of all: eat out at one of the many restaurants featuring cherry dishes. Don't forget they stain. :: CherryAid VIA :: Hippyshopper
More on Fruits and Vegetables Under Threat
:: English Apple Days
:: Potato Day
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what about BananaAid? isn't the disappearance of over a dozen species of bananas kind of important?
As well CherryAid's famous chefs, the food blogging community has plenty of suggestions for more adventurous uses of cherries, from traditional Kentish cherry batter (better known by its fancy French name, clafoutis) and madelines with cherries to wild mallard duck with balsamic cherries and lentils
Horse owners should be aware that wilting
wild cherry leaves are toxic to horses -
watch what they're eating when you're out
riding. Do not pasture them in fields that have
wild cherry trees in them.