Sunday morning, polenta and roasted cherries, what could be finer? I’ve said it before, I love polenta. It’s versatility cannot be matched: served soft and flavored with mascarpone or parmesan cheese, made with chicken broth and a bit of fresh sage, or served firm and fried. The possibilities are both endless and delicious. One of my favorite ways to eat polenta is made with milk, and served with pure maple syrup as a breakfast porridge. But what is the summer time equivalent of this cold winter fare? Substitute the maple syrup for some warmed, roasted cherries, and there you have the perfect summertime breakfast.

Dying your fingers a sanguine shade is the only negative aspect to preparing this sumptuous sauce. Pitting juicy fresh cherries is a bit of bear in terms of mess, but well worth the disarray for the sake of flavor. A bit of booze (cognac to be exact), a touch of sugar, and a sprinkling of corn starch to thicken the sauce, all combined with the cherries and placed in a 400 degree oven, and roasted for 10 to 15 minutes. Sounds simple, and in fact it was. The alcohol cooks out of the cognac, leaving behind a subtle flavor. The sugar is there just to enrich the sauce, not to overpower and make cloyingly sweet. And the corn starch makes the sauce shiny and thick. (If you find the sauce is too thick after baking, simply add a bit of water, and stir to the desired consistency.

The sauce is rich and red, ideal as an ice cream topper, or an adornment to a cake, but it was truly delectable spooned, still warm, over a bowl of morning polenta. The polenta is so pleasantly neutral, so delightfully bland, it is the perfect complement to the robust nature of the roasted cherries. So go ahead and get your fingers bloody this weekend, you won’t be sorry that you did!