This is often served as an appetizer, but most people are going to find it more appropriate for dessert. The fruit can be varied, but cherries really make the best base. For wine, use Gewürztraminer or Riesling, preferably from Germany and at least slightly sweet (if the wine is very sweet, reduce the sugar).

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　3 cups sweet or sour cherries, pitted, juice reserved

　　2 cups fruity white wine

　　1 teaspoon minced lemon zest

　　1/2 cup sugar, or to taste

　　1 apple, peeled, cored, and diced

　　1 pear, peeled, cored, and diced

　　1 ripe peach, peeled, pitted, and diced

　　2 plums, peeled, pitted, and diced

　　Pinch of black pepper

　　Fresh lemon juice to taste

　　Chopped fresh mint leaves for garnish, optional

　　About 1 cup sour cream for garnish, optional

　　

Step 1

Combine 2 cups of the cherries with 2 cups water in a medium saucepan with a lid; bring to a boil, then cover and adjust the heat so the mixture simmers steadily. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the cherries are very soft. Cool (if you’re in a hurry, put the pan in a larger pan of cold water), then force through a strainer.

　　

Step 2

Return the juice to the pan and add all the remaining ingredients except the lemon juice and garnishes. Simmer until the diced fruit is soft, about 15 minutes, then taste and add more sugar or lemon juice if necessary. Chill and serve cold, garnished with mint and/or sour cream as desired.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.