A tradition, preserved

The Basque tradition of serving sheep cheese (brebis) with black cherry jam has lately made its way all over France. And now a little jar of black cherry confit -- a silky preserve with deep, round fruit flavor and soft chunks of black cherry -- brings the tradition to L.A. Choose a nice Ossau-Iraty-Brebis, an Abbaye de Bellocq (shown below), or any other sheep cheese from the French Pyrenees.

Black cherry confit. Available at Monsieur Marcel, Farmers Market, 6333 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles; (323) 939-7792. $8.98 for a 4.38-ounce jar.

-- Leslie Brenner