The dish is full of nutrients, with 3 percent of your daily requirement of iron, 7 percent of your daily requirement of copper, and 8 percent of your daily requirement of vitamin C.
Ingredients
Ingredients for the pickled cherries
- 100 ml white wine vinegar
- 85 ml water
- 50 g caster sugar
- 2 bay leaves
- 250 g fresh cherries, destalked and pitted
- 2 crushed juniper berries
- 5 peppercorns
Ingredients for the bruschetta
- 1 ciabatta loaf, sliced
- 200 g plant-based ricotta alternative (you can often find this in Whole Foods, or you can make it yourself)
- 50 g walnuts
- fresh thyme
- salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil for brushing and 1 tsp for walnuts
Instructions
Method for picking:
- Firstly, start with pickling your cherries. It is best to do this around a week in advance at least, and once made they will keep in sterilised sealed jars for months – meaning you can hang on to cherry season for even longer! (Once opened, store in the fridge).
- To sterilise your jars, wash with hot soapy water then put in a low oven for around 10-15 minutes.
- Pour the white wine vinegar, bay leaves, peppercorns, juniper berries, caster sugar and water into a pan and simmer for around 10 minutes.
- Whilst this is cooking, de stalk and pit your cherries. Pack the cherries into the sterilised jar/s and pour over the vinegar mix, ensuring all cherries are covered. Tightly seal and leave in a cool dark place for at least a week.
Method for making the bruschetta:
- First, preheat the oven to around 180c.
- Spread the walnuts out on a tray lined with baking paper.
- Toss in a tsp of olive oil and toast for around 10-15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Next, slice your ciabatta at a slight angle, into 1cm slices. Lightly brush with olive oil on each side and place under a hot grill until evenly golden.
- Put the ricotta in a bowl with a pinch of salt and whisk until light and fluffy.
- Spread a teaspoon over each of the ciabatta toasts and top with the pickled cherries, crumbled walnuts, fresh thyme and black pepper.