Toby came with me on my market trip this week and helped me pick out these gorgeous berries. Only problem was, I had no idea what to do with them. Here’s what I came up with.

A relative of the gooseberry, currants are high in vitamin C, fiber and vitamin K. Like raspberries and strawberries, they contain ellagic acid, a plant compound with possible cancer-fighting benefits.

After I brought my berry bounty home, the only recipe that came to mind was some kind of currant jam, but I wanted to challenge myself. I came up with a sweet and tart currant sauce (I had some sour cherries to use so I threw a few into the sauce, too). The sauce was delicious served on grilled pork tenderloin with some creamy polenta (picture below). You can whisk leftover sauce with lemon juice and olive oil for a quick and easy vinaigrette, too.

In a small saucepan, combine currants, sugar, vinegar, salt and garlic. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes until currants burst and liquid has reduced by half. Strain the mixture through a fine strainer, cool slightly and serve.

More recipes to try:

• Raspberry Currant Jam
• Summer Pudding