What are your first thoughts when you hear the word jubilee? Jump for joy? A celebration? An anniversary? Think food! Jubilee Chicken? Nope. Jubilee Punch? No, again. Stay focused on food, not drink. Royal Jubilee Trifles? Not this one either. Diamond Jubilee Strawberry Crumble Crunch? Sounds good and we will be adding fruit but not strawberries. Give up? OK...let's get on with the jubilee of the day.

September 24 is...

National Cherries Jubilee Day

http://www.marthastewart.com/340907/cherries-jubilee

Martha Stewart Cherries Jubilee Recipe

http://kisbyto.blogspot.com/2012/09/cherries-jubilee-day.html

Keep it Simple

Cherries jubilee is a classic flambé dessert made with cherries and liqueur (typically kirsch or brandy), served over vanilla ice cream.

The original recipe is attributed to French chef Auguste Escoffie who prepared the dish for one of Queen Victoria's jubilee celebrations. It is unclear whether it first appeared at the Golden Jubilee in 1887 or the Diamond Jubilee in 1897, but it quickly became one of the most fashionable desserts of the era. For many years, cherries jubilee was a standard menu item at America’s finest restaurants, reaching the peak of its popularity in the 1950s and 1960s.

If you're looking for a dessert for a dinner party (even if it's not on National Cherries Jubilee Day), try making this vintage dish for your guests. So simple, yet very impressive!

A Bit of Cherry American History...

The United States has historically been the largest exporter of cherries worldwide. In the United States, most sweet cherries are grown in Washington, California, Oregon, and Northern Michigan. Sweet cherry cultivars include "Bing", "Brooks", "Tulare", "King" and "Rainier". In addition, the Lambert variety is grown on the eastern side of Flathead Lake in northwestern Montana.

Both Oregon and Michigan provide light-colored "Royal Ann" ('Napoleon'; alternately "Queen Anne") cherries for the maraschino cherry process. Most sour (also called tart) cherries are grown in Michigan, followed by Utah, New York, and Washington. Native and non-native cherries grow well in Canada (Ontario and British Columbia). Sour cherries include Nanking and Evans Cherry.

Traverse City, Michigan claims to be the "Cherry Capital of the World", hosting a National Cherry Festival and making the world's largest cherry pie.