The cherry season is short - and that's exactly what makes it sacred. When the first baskets of ruby-red cherries appear, a few weeks later they're gone. Nine recipes that lift them into the main act on the table, not just a dessert after lunch.

For sweet: cherry and mascarpone dessert, cherry brownies (for anyone who thinks chocolate plus cherries is too much - it isn't, it's precisely the right dose), and Greek yogurt with cherry compote - a ten-minute snack the kids will keep coming back for.

For savoury: aubergines stuffed with bulgur and cherries - a combination that looks like an experiment at first glance and tastes in the mouth like a reshaped Balkan moussaka. Chicken salad with cherries, melon and cherry pippirana - two ideas for those warm May evenings when you don't want anything heavy.

For the original experiments: cherry focaccia (the Italian bread as a sweet-salty base that brings back memories of summer afternoons), cherry gazpacho (a pure Andalusian idea - cold soup for the biggest heatwaves), and cherry and avocado salmorejo shot - a small cup as an aperitif before the main meal.

The Balkan tradition with cherries is a little different. Cherry preserves, cherry rakija, the Macedonian version of a Black Forest cake. But these recipes open the door to how Mediterranean cultures actually use cherries - not just as a sweetener, but as a fresh acidity that can lift heavy meat or Italian bread. How many more years will we settle for a sweet jarred compote when a fresh cherry can turn every meal into an event?