I’m wading in an excess of riches. Unfortunately not of the green back persuasion, but I’ve an abundance of Michigan ruby red cherries to use.

I can’t seem to make it through a market without plopping a big bag of the seasonal beauties into my cart, so I’ll be in recipe cherry-land for the next couple of days.

The most time-consuming element in this recipe is pitting the fruit. I’d advise using plastic gloves, otherwise your hands will look like mine (see photo). A couple of buddies are stopping by and I need something easy to knosh on with a glass of wine--this is simple and perfect, I'll just soak my hands in clorox before they arrive.

Yield: apx. 1 1/4 cups spread (enough spread for apx.16 (2 1/2-inch long bread slices or crostini)
Time: 40 minutes (includes time to pit the cherries)
Cost: apx. $13.50

Ingredients

5 ounces soft goat cheese
2-1/2 ounces (1/3 cup) ricotta cheese
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 cup pitted, chopped sweet cherries
1 tablespoon chopped red onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
18 pecan or walnut halves, toasted
16, 2 1/2-inch long baguette slices*

*With a serrated knife, slice baguettes diagonally to get the 2 1/2-inch length. Brush with extra virgin olive oil and toast in a 350Ëš oven until golden brown (about 15 minutes) to make crostini.

Directions

1. In a medium-sized bowl, mash together goat cheese, ricotta and balsamic vinegar with a fork until completely combined. Stir in cherries and red onion and season with freshly ground black pepper.
2. Spread cherry cheese mixture over each bread slice. Sprinkle with chopped mint and top each with a walnut of pecan halve. Serve.