A Very Cherry 4th

Local sweet cherries are a treat, as are our Sunday picnics.  So I saved a few cherries from the farmers market to prepare this Bourbon Cherry BBQ Sauce for our chicken.  The recipe is from Cooking Light.  

Bourbon Cherry BBQ Sauce

(Serves 2)

Puree cherries with water and sugar in a mini food processor.  Place in saucepan.  Simmer for 20 minutes.
3/4 cup fresh cherries, pitted
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon sugar
Strain through a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl.  Discard solids.

Add cherry liquid to saucepan with honey, ketchup, vinegar, bourbon and seasonings.  Simmer for 10 minutes.  Prior to baking, dip chicken tenders in sauce and bake.  
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon ketchup, no high fructose corn syrup
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoon bourbon
Dash salt
1/4 teapsoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon dry mustard

Our picnic today was at Albert Gallatin's mansion, Friendship Hill, in Point Marion, Pennsylvania-a National Park.  I loved the beautiful kitchen from his early 1800s mansion.

Happy Independence Day!