Infuse your Super Bowl festivities – or your next party or gathering – with delicious, healthy cherries.  These recipes will kick-off your Super Bowl the right way!!  Quick, easy and flavorful—make cherry red your team choice for Super Bowl XLIV.

Twilight Cocktail

Edward and Jacob-lovers alike will enjoy this blood-red cocktail.  Courtesy of Charles Joly, The Drawing Room

Ingredients:
1/2     oz FruitFast Montmorency tart cherry juice concentrate
1.5      oz Maker’s Mark
3/4     oz Grand Marnier
1/2      oz Domain de Canton, ginger liqueur
3/4     oz fresh lemon juice
1/4      oz agave nectar (or simple syrup)

Directions:

Drizzle the blood-red cherry concentrate around the inside of a dry (or chilled) martini glass. Combine remaining ingredients in cocktail shaker.  Shake with ice and strain into the cherry concentrate-lined glass.  Use a vegetable peeler to cut a strip of orange zest- squeeze oil over top of cocktail and place garnish decoratively.

Stir the cherry concentrate in with the shaken cocktail before enjoying.

Yield:  1 serving

Ingredients:
2-1 /2 tsp super fine granulated sugar
3         Tbsp FruitFast Montmorency Tart Cherry Juice
12       mint leaves
Squeeze of fresh lime juice
1          oz white rum
1/2     cup soda or seltzer water
Ice

Directions:

Place 6 mint leaves in a tall glass.  Crush mint leaves with a muddler, or with the back of a spoon. Add sugar, tart cherry juice, lime juice, white rum and ice.  Mix well.  Finish drink with soda water and remaining mint leaves. Stir to combine and serve.

Yield:  1 serving

A Super Easy appetizer for your Super Bowl Party.

Ingredients:
1          cup Brownwood Acres Montmorency Dried Tart Cherries, chopped
1/2      cup crumbled blue cheese (about 2 ounces)
1/2      cup chopped walnuts
1          cup sour cream
1/4      cup mayonnaise

Directions:

Combine cherries, blue cheese, and walnuts, in a medium bowl. Stir in sour cream and mayonnaise; mix well. Chill about 1 hour to blend flavors. Serve with vegetable dippers, such as celery, carrots, cauliflower, cucumber, broccoli, green or red bell peppers, or crackers.

Yield:  2 cups

This is a medium-hot salsa and is great with grilled chicken.

Ingredients:
1         cup Brownwood Acres Montmorency Dried Tart Cherries
1/2     cup water
3         fresh corn ears, shucked
1/2     cup chopped red onion
1         Tbsp finely chopped garlic
1/4     cup cilantro, chopped
1/2     cup lemon or lime juice
Salt, to taste

Directions:
Heat cherries and water in a small saucepan. Simmer about 5 minutes, or until cherries have plumped and water is slightly syrupy. Set aside to cool. Meanwhile, roast each ear of corn directly over gas flame on stovetop or over gas grill (just as you would for a roasted pepper), Turn until each ear is slightly charred all around. Set aside to cool. Cut corn kernels from cobs.
Combine corn, cherries with liquid, onion, garlic, cilantro, chilies and lemon juice. Season with salt, to taste.

Yield:   6 – 1/2 cup servings