Sweet Cherry & Pea Vine Salad with Basil & Mint

Bing Cherry & Pea Vine Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

This past Saturday, I walked through the Seattle University District Farmers Market with–gasp–no goal. I let the season’s bounty and the culinary muses set the agenda. The muses, aroused by my atypical lack of planning, whispered sweet nothings in my ear: “cherries, cherries, cherries.”

Luckily, several growers’ tables were piled high with sweet cherries (Bings, Rainiers, and Chelans) and one grower had oh-so-hard-to-find Montmorency pie cherries as well. But at $10 a pound, I will plan what to make with these, perhaps next week.

Bittersweet Chocolate & Montmorency Cherry Morning Love Muffins

LunaCafe's Valentine's Day Bittersweet Chocolate and Montmorency Cherry Morning Love Muffins

I LOVE sour cherries with bittersweet chocolate … and these chocolate and cherry muffins are fabulous taste combo. the muffins are tender and moist with a medium grain. What better time to serve these delicious morsels than on Valentine’s Day morning to the love-of-your-life?