Small town America is the home of the most fun street fairs, art shows, festivals and more. In Mama’s small town of Polson, MT, is the Flathead Cherry Festival. People drive from all over Montana to visit our little cherry festival. It is happening in the flathead valley this weekend Saturday and Sunday, everything from booths with Made in Montana products, cherry themed booths and baked goods, lemonade and food carts, people watching, oh and we can’t forget to mention the Cherry Olympics! The Cherry Olympics include Pit Spitting, Stem Tying, Pie Eating and a Cook-off! So in honor of my humble little towns fabulous Cherry Festival, I am including my recipe for Gluten Free Chocolate Cherry Muffins and 9 more cherry recipes from my gluten free friends. If you live in Montana come on down and if you don’t, then celebrate in spirit with us in your kitchen.
Some quick facts:
- Flathead Valley is ideal for growing cherries and the water supply is from glacier water in the Mission Mountains.
- Flathead Valley produces as high as 7 million pounds of cherries each year. The national average is 3-5 million, so that is a lot of cherries!
- In 1866, the flathead valley began growing cherries and just shortly after they found it was the best climate for growing sweet cherries.
- Our cherries can be found in grocery store chains as far away as California to the midwest and the southeast.
Time for the recipes:
Mama’s Gluten Free Chocolate Cherry Muffins, From the Kitchen of Rachel Carlyle Edington ~Gluten Free Mama Click here for Recipe.
Cherry Cheesecake Bars with Coconutty Shortbread Crust, From the Kitchen of Amanda Paa~ Heartbeet Kitchen — Click Here for Recipe
Cherry Vanilla Baked Alaska, From the Kitchen of Sharon Lachendro ~ What the Fork Blog — Click Here for Recipe
Black Forest Cupcakes, From the Kitchen of Ellen Kirschenbaum ~ Only Taste Matters — Click Here for Recipe
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Cherry, Basil, and Bacon Baked Brie, From the Kitchen of Sandi Gaertner ~ Fearless Dining — Click Here for Recipe
Gluten Free Peach Crumble wtih Cherries, From the Kitchen of Sheena Strain ~ Tea and Biscuits — Click Herefor Recipe
Anti-Inflammatory Cherry Smoothie, From the Kitchen of Rebecca Pytell ~ Strenght and Sunshine — Click Here for Recipe
Black Forest Pancakes, From the Kitchen of Arman Liew ~ The Big Man’s World — Click Here for Recipe
Black Forest Overnight Oats, From the Kitchen of Sharon Lachendro ~ What the Fork Blog — Click Here for Recipe
Coconut Chocolate Cherry Macadamia Nut Mini Pies, from the Kitchen of E.A Stewart ~ Spicy Rd Nutrition — Click Here for Recipe