I have never seen such a bustling farmers market as last Saturday. A visit was positive affirmation that interest in local produce and goods is on the rise.

I came away with a bunch of beetroot, some fresh garlic and a box of sour cherries.
I washed, topped and tailed the beets and roasted them wrapped in foil for an hour at 375 degrees. Once they had cooled the skin came off easily and I sliced them for a salad with goat cheese and walnuts. The sweetness of the beets sets off the salty cheese so well.
I roasted the garlic too as the oven was on, again wrapped in foil but with a little olive oil added. The pulp can be squeezed out of the bulb once it is cooked and spread onto croutons to go with the salad. I sprinkle on some salt and add a grind or two of black pepper to make a pungent spread.

The sour cherries were a bit of a challenge as I had bought them more because they were such a beautiful color than because I had a dish in mind. They were such a vibrant orange red my children called them nuclear cherries. On the way home I remembered the Eastern European tradition of making fruit soups and my version was a hit.

Cherry Soup
1 box sour cherries, washed and with stalks removed
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons sugar or more to taste

Place all the ingredients in a large microwavable bowl and nuke on high for 5 minutes.
Let the cherries cool, then remove the stones from the cherries keeping as much of the pulp as you can. This is a little laborious but the stones do come away easily from the cooked cherries.
Blend the cherries and the juice to make a smooth soup, taste and add more sugar if necessary but keep the mixture on the sour side. Chill and serve in small cups.
You could top each serving with a little cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon for a more grand dessert.