We have some beautiful things happen to us in life. We both come from big city living, where you are shocked if someone speaks to you, and suspicious if they speak kindly. After two years living in Alberta’s deep south, we have become more gracious at accepting random gifts, but no less amazed. The story of these sour cherry squares is a perfect example of what we mean.
Last summer we discovered CR Fruit Farm, a u-pick just south of Lethbridge run by two of the most beautiful people we’ve ever met. Jim grew up on the land he still farms, has grizzled white hair, a perma-tan, and a collection of grey-brown t-shirts and pajama bottoms which he wears everyday like a uniform. A gigantic brown Labrador and a Louisiana coon hound are his constant companions, riding around with him in his converted golf cart, which is equipped with a shot gun and ammunition for those occasions the dogs flush out something scary or smelly (coyote or skunk). Toni is his faithful companion, bubbling with personality and full of stories. She has dark hair, the same tan, a huge heart and more than enough spirit to stand up to Jim’s stubborn farmer ways. The woman has managed to keep turkeys as pets for goodness sake (Jim calls the turkeys Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas just to get a rise out of her).
The first weekend we visited their farm Josh was picking Saskatoon berries in a back field and I was supposed to go join him. Jim and I got into a deep discussion about local farming practices and what “organic” means in Southern Alberta, and an hour later Josh arrived hot and sweaty to find Jim and I sipping peach iced tea on the back deck in the shade, cool as cucumbers and brand new friends. Poor Josh took a good 20 seconds to decide how to react, which was understandable given the heat and mosquito bites he had endured, but before long all four of us were talking about everything from drunken Kijiji shopping to the size of cauliflower.
Fast forward one year and we were back again, and after he had dug some potatoes, garlic and carrots for us (there’s not a lot of U-pick at this U-pick), Jim asked if we had tried the sour cherries yet this year. We said no, and Jim told me to jump in the golf cart. I thought we’re going out to the cherry tree orchard, as did Josh (who was more than slightly bemused that he had to walk while I rode in the chariot). Both wrong, Jim pulled up ten seconds later in front of the house and invited us in. Apparently sour cherries make a great liqueur, and he and Toni were trying their hand at homebrew. 10 o’clock in the morning and we shared a shot of plum brandy-infused sour cherry liqueur in the middle of Toni’s kitchen. If there had been any doubt we’re all kindred spirits, that certainly washed it away! Toni came in from feeding the turkeys just as we were paying Jim for our produce and heading for the truck. “Did you pick some sour cherries?” she asked, and when we said no she told us about this rhubarb square recipe she has which works really well with the sour cherries instead of rhubarb. It sounded delicious, so we told her that we’d pick some sour cherries the following weekend and get the recipe from her. “You know, I picked 5 buckets of cherries last night. If you take one, you save me having to pit them.”
We tried to talk some sense into her. Not only did it feel wrong to take cherries we hadn’t even picked, we had just spent our cash on two huge bags of veggies! Toni gave us this look that clearly said we were talking nonsense, went in the house and came back with a 4L bucket of beautiful red cherries, and two blocks of margarine in a Ziploc bag. “Do you have margarine at home?” “Yes,” I said, as convincingly as I could. Not buying it, she thrust the bucket and the margarine in my hand. “You need margarine for the recipe, it doesn’t work with butter. I get this by the case at Costco, just take it. You guys are kids, you need looking after.” With that, we stopped blubbering ineffective arguments. When someone like Toni tells you she’s parenting, you shut up and just let her parent. We have no idea how much they charge for 4L of sour cherries, not to mention the $5 of margarine she threw in on top. What we do know is how happy, nurtured and grateful we felt as we drove away. Money can’t buy the joy of connecting with people who love their life and love to share it. That afternoon we spent three hours pitting cherries. Half of them are in the freezer, the other half in this gluten-free version of Toni’s squares. When you make these, toast the good health of people like Jim and Toni who make the world a kinder place despite all the odds against them.
Ingredients and Preparation:
Base:
- 1/2 cup palm sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup softened margarine (or butter if you’re brave enough to defy Toni’s orders)
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- 2/3 cup potato starch
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- 1 tsp baking soda
Preheat oven to 375°.
Use an electric mixer to cream the palm sugar, egg, salt and margarine. Sift together the rice flour, potato starch, coconut flour, xanthan gum and baking soda. Mix that into the creamed mixture until smooth. Set aside 1 cup of the resulting dough. Tip the rest of the dough into a greased 13″x9″ pan.
Good stuff:
- 3/4 cup cane sugar
- 1/4 cup palm sugar
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 cup softened margarine
- 1 egg, beaten
- 4 cups fresh sour cherries, pitted and washed
Cream first four ingredients in your trusty electric mixer. Fold in sour cherries. Spread mixture over base. Use 1 cup of reserved dough to form a topping on the cherry mixture, then sprinkle the whole thing with cinnamon. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the base is golden brown.
Bon appétit!