My Tribute to Michigan: Cherry Salsa
26 Apr
Some people say that they’ve left their hearts in their hometowns, but with the amount I’ve moved in the last 8 years, I’m starting to feel like Voldemort with his horcruxes. The piece of my heart (or horcrux, or whatever) that represents my time in Michigan is housed firmly in Cherry Republic, Glen Arbor, MI.
The Happiest Place in Michigan
Northern Michigan is orchards and nature as far as the eye can see, and because the orchards had some financial trouble during the 70s, many of them opened wineries to make the fruit into something recession-proof. I found Cherry Republic quite by accident while on a trip to Great Lakes Tea and Spice in Glen Arbor during my honeymoon. Cherry Republic makes anything and everything out of cherries. We were lured into the restaurant/store by the pulled-pork cherry barbecue, and I’ve been a fan ever since.
The product is actually more pink, but hey.
My friend who taught me how to make Tex Mex and salsa and I have been discussing regional foods and specialties for a month now, and it made me homesick for one of my favorite Cherry Republic products: cherry salsa. Since I had found a can of tart Michigan cherries at the import store in the fall, I decided to research cherry salsa and make my own to share with my foodie friends. It was a hit at our movie night, and, per my friends’ request, the recipe is below.
