There were cherry trees in the garden where I used to live. Come July, they were heavy with plump fruit the colour of vamp nail polish. Some years I got the lion’s share, and others the birds beat me to it. Cherries are perfectly delicious plucked straight from the tree, but their intense, bright flavour should be celebrated beyond just pie filling. They have a sweet-sour flavour that is not only irresistible in bakes, it also provides a zippy contrast to rich cheese or fatty meat such as pork and duck. The season is short, so get them while you can.
