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I had my precious cherries in mind today as I entered Oliviers & Co., a purveyor of olive oils from Haute-Provence. My original intention was to buy only a bottle of their Cherry Balsamic but then the Honey & Ginger Balsamic looked so good too, that I wished I had bought some earlier for the orange and sweet chili pepper salsa I made last week.

When the shop assistant noticed I was open to buying more she asked me if I have a good olive oil at home. I told her I did indeed need an olive oil, but I want the mildest flavour possible. She showed a bottle of extra virgin olive oil from Château du Vignal to me, asking, “Do you know the macaroons from Ladurée?

Cherries with Cherry Balsamic

Well they make one macaroon with olive oil and this particular oil is the one they use for their macaroon.” I’ve had that particular macaroon actually and it is delicious. She let me taste a teaspoon of the Château du Vignal which is classified as a Grand Cru Oil with the selection being limited to only 1000 liters. It was so delicate I could almost drink it. It definately belongs in desserts.

As I left the shop with my two balsamics and the olive oil I decided to use the oil and cherry balsamic to create a dessert with my remaining cherries.

Cherry Balsamic

Here is the recipe that formed in my mind as I walked back home:

1/2 cup of cherries that have been cut in half and   pitted

1 teaspoon Cherry Balsamic

1 teaspoon  olive oil (the absolutely mildest olive oil you can find) – try the Château du Vignal

1 tablespoon of orange & dark chocolate confit

1 almond wafer

Dark chocolate with orange shavings (from a bar of dark chocolate)

Toss the cherries in the olive oil and cherry balsamic. Sprinkly with white sugar. Put the dark chocolate confit on plate and insert the almond wafer (the confit should support the wafer so that it stands)

Arrange the cherries on the plate, against the wafer. Drizzle more oil and balsamic if you like. Sprinkle with shavings of dark chocolate.

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