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Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and that can only mean one thing. It’s cranberry season. (OK, so Thanksgiving means a lot more than that, but today I’m talking about cranberries.)
Cranberries are one of those love-hate foods. Either you love them or you hate them, but there’s not a lot of neutrality. Unfortunately, for most people the only exposure they have to cranberries is that jellied stuff that comes in a can, or maybe they’ll stretch to try commercially prepared “whole-berry” sauce.
But there’s so much more to cranberries.
A number of years ago I began making my own cranberry relish. At first I looked for a recipe to can for gifts, but then I also searched out a recipe for a fresh-made relish to accompany Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.
I’ve tried several recipes that I really like, as well as some that weren’t so good. This is one of my two favorites. It’s simple to prepare and the light flavor and fell are a great accompaniment to a big dinner, like the one you’re likely to have next Thursday.
Fresh Cranberry Salad
2 cups water
¾ cup sugar
3 cups (12 oz.) cranberries
1 pkg. (6 oz.) orange-flavored gelatin
1 can (8 ¼ oz.) crushed pineapple
½ cup chopped celery or walnuts
salad greens
Place water and sugar in a 2-quart saucepan and bring to a boil; boil 1 minute. Add cranberries and return to a boil for 5 minutes. Add gelatin and stir until dissolved. Stir in celery and pineapple (including liquid). Pour into a 6-cup mold and chill at least 6 hours until firm. Unmold on salad greens. May be garnished with pineapple chunks and sour cream.
Note: I always make my salad with celery, not walnuts. Also, I use a clear glass bowl and don’t bother with unmolding the salad onto greens. I just serve it straight from the dish.
To submit a recipe for this feature, send an e-mail to townguide@springfordonline.com, or sign up as a member and submit the recipe through the “post articles” section of “My Local Space.” Please include a brief explanation of what makes your dish special.
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