In this simple dessert, fresh fruit is the star. Lemon juice brings out the sweetness of summer cherries and berries. Any red berries work here—fresh red currants, black currants, and gooseberries are great options, too.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 4

　　1 pound Bing cherries, pitted

　　1/2 cup sugar

　　1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved

　　1 pint raspberries

　　1/2 pint blueberries

　　1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

　　Lemon sorbet, fromage blanc, or whipped cream, for serving

　　

Step 1

Combine the cherries, sugar, and 1 1/2 cups water in a large saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cherries soften, about 10 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Transfer to a large bowl and let cool to room temperature. Gently stir in the strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and lemon juice. Let stand for at least 30 minutes or refrigerate, covered, for up to 1 day.

　　

Step 3

Serve topped with lemon sorbet, fromage blanc, or whipped cream.

　　Reprinted with permission from Home Cooking with Jean-Georges: My Favorite Simple Recipes by Jean-Georges Vongerichten with Genevieve Ko. Copyright © 2011 by Jean-Georges Vongerichten; photographs copyright © 2011 by John Kernick. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Jean-Georges Vongerichten is one of the most influential chefs in the world, having single-handedly redefined haute French cuisine, lightening and refining it by adding select Asian accents. He is the chef-owner of dozens of restaurants in fourteen cities around the world. His flagship restaurant, Jean Georges, at New York's Columbus Circle, is one of six restaurants in the United States to have been awarded three coveted Michelin stars; it received four stars from the New York Times. The winner of multiple James Beard Foundation awards, he lives in New York City and Waccabuc, New York, with his family.Genevieve Ko is a cookbook author and the senior food editor at Good Housekeeping magazine. She has written for Martha Stewart Living, Gourmet, and Fine Cooking and lives in New York City with her family.