life is…

awesome? maybe it’s just me, but the old “life is a bowl of cherries…” doesn’t cut it because, well, i don’t even know what that’s supposed to mean. life is a bowl of small stone fruits that are varying shades of red (other colors too, lookin’ at you rainier cherries…) and delicious? see what i’m saying?

anyway, all i know about that phrase is life is good when you have a bowl of cherries hanging around your house. you can eat them or jam them or make them into sorbet (which i did! but, you have to wait. hehehe…)

or cook ’em with some lemon and sugar and spoon them into the bottoms of whatever vessel you have and top them with goat cheese panna cotta! yeah!

it’s cool and creamy with that goat-y tang and some yummy cherries on the bottom…that do not disappoint like that gray fruit mush in the bottom of your yogurt. i love yogurt, but i hate that crap. fruit-on-the-bottom my ass, is what i say to that.

cherry stuff (compote?)

1-2 cups pitted, dark, sweet cherries
juice of half a lemon (a tablespoon or so)
1/4 cup sugar

heat cherries, sugar, and lemon juice over medium heat in a medium saucepan, bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, until cherries are heated through and release their gorgeous red juices. cool, spoon into cups or ramekins and freeze (so the layers look pretty!) while you prep the panna cotta.

goat cheese panna cotta
this makes a small amount, maybe for 4 people. it is not very sweet since i served it with the sweet cherries, you can adjust this to your taste.

1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon of plain, powdered gelatin
1 tablespoon of water
3 oz. goat cheese
1 tablespoon honey

put water in a small bowl and sprinkle gelatin over the top. let stand for 5 minutes.

heat milk and cream with honey in a saucepan until just before boiling. add the gelatin and whisk until completely dissolved. whisk in the goat cheese until smooth. pour mixture over the frozen cherry compote, cover and refrigerate until set (at least 2 hours).