Not Your Ordinary Cranberry Dish

I know it is a holiday staple on most American holiday tables on Thanksgiving, when I think about it there is a certain twinge of a cringe in my shoulders. I think it is a scar from childhood of the infamous, canned-shaped, dark red congealed mound resting on a bed of lettuce that makes me make the face I am making now. The face of... "you can't possibly make me eat that and by the way what is it?!"

I didn't attempt to even eat cranberries until adulthood and to my surprise I loved them. Now I eat them dried and juiced and adore making breads and muffins with them. But the congealed version... still not a fave.

I now wish to pass on my Thanksgiving version that I'm almost certain has replaced the indented, rimmed version that used to grace our table. I have realized that there is a certain twang that a cranberry dish adds to a homemade turkey dinner and I personally enjoy the taste... even if not many others do. Huh.. that's probably what the canned eaters think too!


Cranberry Relish

1 orange
1 bag of cranberries
orange peel from orange
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Dice all up. That's all my recipe says!

I use a mini food processor to do the dicing for me. Chop up the cranberries and peeled orange. Using a lemon zester, scrape off the orange part of the orange peel if that makes sense and add it to the cranberries and oranges. Next add the sugar and pecans. Refrigerate and serve in a pretty bowl. No lettuce bed needed.

It's super easy and is truly better if made the night before. I love this medley so much I could just eat it with a spoon!