Taylor has decided that dried tart cherries are his new favorite thing this side of Disney World. "If you didn't need these for a recipe," he told me, "I'd have devoured the entire bag by now." To which I replied that we can always buy more, and if it makes him happy, by all means, eat away. (It's the little things, right?) And in fact, I'm inclined to agree with him. I've never been a fan of raisins (which have absolutely NO place in cookies), and dried cranberries are often too tanic and overpowering (especially when you accidentally buy the orange-flavored ones, they overtake your entire meal). Dried tart cherries, however, are miracles. Little wrinkly miracles; pockets of flavor that compliment and enhance without overpowering. And unlike the chewy/leathery/tough texture of other dried fruit, cherries are tender and supple and won't break your teeth in the process. Contrast is king in this colorful salad, which pairs bitter and sweet, salty and smoky, bright and crunchy: multiple

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