Cranberries worth lingering over

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, the holiday season is officially here. For most of us, Thanksgiving is about traditions. It’s about those tried-and-true recipes we make year after year, like roasted turkey or ham, candied sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie, and the like.

I am nothing if not a traditional girl and I love those recipes that have stood the test of time. But I also love to take those old favorites and shake them up a little.

If I were to ask you to name your favorite Thanksgiving foods, I have a sneaking suspicion cranberry sauce wouldn’t crack your top five. For some, cranberry sauce is that can-shaped jiggly thing on the holiday table. You’ll get no judgement from me; it was on my family’s holiday table every year. As I was piling up the food on my plate, I would cast a sideways glance at the cranberry sauce and keep on moving. As a child I didn’t get it and quite frankly I didn’t want to.

The adult Donna has a deep appreciation for cranberry sauce. When you think of all the rich fatty carb-heavy foods that are on a holiday table, cranberries offer a tart, fresh and sweet counterbalance.

Cranberries are native to North America and nowhere in the US do they grow better than on our Oregon Coast, which offers the perfect environment for them. Because the conditions are so perfect, our growing season is longer than most, yielding cranberries that are darker and sweeter than others. You will find about 3,000 acres of cranberry bogs, or beds, in Bandon, about 95 percent of Oregon’s cranberries.

Harvest season in Oregon is usually somewhere between mid-October and early December. At harvest time, these bogs are flooded with water, which forces the cranberries to separate from their woody vines then float to the surface, where they are collected.

These deep red fruits contain Vitamin C, potassium and lots of fiber.

Now that I have successfully, I hope, argued the case for the cranberry, let’s talk recipes. Canned sauce is nice; homemade sauce is even better. A relish is great, but a chutney is divine. A chutney is a sauce made from fruit, vinegar, sugar and spices and is sweet, savory and tart. The flavor is much more complex than your typical sauce. A chutney is meant to be chunky and have texture.

This recipe for cranberry chutney is a one-pot wonder. If you have any chutney leftover, and I hope you do, I recommend you take a cracker and place a slice of sharp cheddar on it with a dollop of this chutney. It makes the best snack or appetizer.

This Thanksgiving don’t get “bogged” down with fancy, complicated recipes, make those well-loved family favorites but give them a little upgrade. Your tastebuds will thank you.

Cranberry Chutney

●      12 ounces of fresh or frozen cranberries (if frozen, there’s no need to thaw)

●      1/2 cup diced dried apricots (cut each dried apricot into four to five pieces)

●      1/2 cup of dried cherries

●      1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and small-diced

●      2/3 cup of brown sugar, firmly packed

●      1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar

●      1/2 cup of orange juice

●      1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

●      1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

●      1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, but the little bit of heat is nice)

●      1 teaspoon sea salt

●      1/2 teaspoon black pepper

●      Place all ingredients in a large, heavy bottomed saucepan and stir to combine.

●      Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently. The cranberries will start to pop and burst and release their juices. At this point, lower the heat so the mixture is gently simmering and not at a hard boil.

●      The mixture will cook until the berries are broken down and the apple is softened. This should take about 20 minutes. Don’t leave this unattended and be sure to stir it often, as it has a high sugar content and can burn easily.

●      Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes. At this point, taste the chutney. You may decide you would like to add more vinegar or sugar. Adjust to your taste.

●      The chutney will thicken as it cools and make about three cups. You can serve it hot, room temperature or cold. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in a tightly covered container for up to 10 days.