Tuscan Square, 16 West 51st Street (Fifth Avenue), is whipping up white chocolate eggnog with cassis, rum, brandy, fresh red currants and meringue.

The original version of the recipe calls for fresh black currants, which are often difficult to find in the United States.

One muggy weekend in July, Maryam Farman drove her minivan there from Queens with a sister and five children of assorted ages, looking for fresh currants that they planned to dry at home to add to rice pilafs and meat stews.

Blackcap Pudding 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs, beaten 1 cup self-rising flour 8 ounces fresh black currants or other berries Clotted cream or ice cream for topping.

Dried currants, available in markets today, are not made from fresh currants.

The first consisted of fillets of marinated salmon topped with chopped arugula and fresh red currants.

Gooseberries, mulberries, wild strawberries and fresh currants are some of the other berry crops that are available from specialty farms and produce stands in the summer.

Instead of blueberries, raspberries and strawberries, you can substitute fresh currants or the tiny Champagne grapes now showing up at farmers' markets.

Braised Canada goose with fresh red currants and smothered red cabbage, roast turkey with wild mushrooms and chestnut stuffing and rillettes of smoked goose with blackberry Cumberland sauce will be among the offerings.