Perfect Summer Drink, Morning or Night

I love sour cherries, love the sly way they sneak away from sweetness, and this time of year I buy them by the quart at the farmers market, bring them home, pit them (with a paper clip), and freeze them to make sour cherry crostatas when the weather's less congenial.

But the pleasure of this particular recipe is that I don't bother pitting the cherries.  I simply give the fruit a shower, pull off the stems and plunk them into the blender.

Sour Cherry Lemonade

1 quart sour cherries

4 lemons

1/2 cup sugar (If you like things sweet you'll want more.  If you're a connoisseur of sour, you might not want any sugar at all.  Give it a taste and figure out the right recipe for you.) 

1. Wash the cherries and remove the stems.

2. Put the cherries into a blender and process, pits and all, until it is a puree.

3. Strain the cherries in a sieve using the back of a ladle to press on the cherries.  Discard the solids.

4. Squeeze the lemons.

5. Pour the puree into a pitcher and stir in the lemon juice and sugar.

6. When you are ready to drink the cherry-lemonade, pour into a glass and add water (or  sparkling water), to taste. Want to make it a cocktail? Add vodka or gin and top with a sprig of mint.

The puree keeps for 2 days in the refrigerator.