by Micky Ellenbecker, Purchasing Assistant
Most of us get stuck in the rut of only using fresh cranberries one or two weeks a year for holiday meals, but this true Wisconsin fruit is available fresh from mid-October through December. We source the vast majority of our cranberries from Ruesch Century Farm in Vesper, Wisconsin, and have partnered with them for more than 20 years! They are certified organic and they dry harvest their cranberries. What does dry harvest mean? Well, most cranberry bogs are harvested by flooding the bog so all the cranberries float to the top. As you can imagine, this uses a tremendous amount of water. Ruesch chooses to dry harvest their cranberries to both conserve water and greatly lengthen the shelf life of the cranberries.
Beyond supporting local, these babies really pack a punch and are a true superfood. They are packed with antioxidants and essential nutrients and deserve a place at the table for more than a week or two each year. When it comes down to it, it really is about making sauce, salsa, relish, and other unique toppings that bring out the best flavor combinations for cranberries. Here are some ideas TO try while local, fresh cranberries are available and abundant:
Cranberry Brie Grilled Cheese
Adapted from Joy the Baker
If you’re already familiar with making cranberry sauce, then this is an easy addition to your meal rotation. I’d recommend using Madison Sourdough or Clausen’s sliced loaf breads.
2 slices sourdough bread
1/2-1 Tbs. unsalted butter
1/4 c. cranberry sauce
1/2-1 Tbs. whole grain mustard
Brie cheese, amount to your liking
Directions: If you haven’t made cranberry sauce before, it’s quite simple. Simmer 1 pint of cranberries, 1/2 cup of water, and 1/4-1/2 cup of sugar. You can jazz it up with orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon, or other spices of your choosing. Cook for about 10 minutes until the cranberries have popped and the sauce has thickened.
While many know how to make a grilled cheese sandwich, I’ll still roll through the punches just in case. First, generously butter one side of each slice of bread. Second, apply the mustard and cranberry sauce on one slice and the brie on the other, with the buttered sides facing outward. When you join the sandwich together, don’t smoosh it too hard so the ingredients ooze out the sides. Heat your skillet to medium-low and place the sandwich in once it has reached temperature. Cook until golden brown on each side, let cool for a few minutes, and enjoy!
Oven Baked Sweet Potatoes with Cranberry Chutney
Adapted from a recipe by Regina Charboneau
This recipe looks long and intimidating, but it’s really quite simple. And it brings a lot of flavor with these sweet, sour, and tangy mix of ingredients. Very satisfying!
For the chutney:
1/2 c. diced red onion
1/2 c. diced red bell pepper
1/2 c. diced green bell pepper
1/4 lb. butter
1/2 c. cider vinegar
1 c. brown sugar (more or less to taste)
1/4 c. raisins, golden raisins, or dried currants
3 c. fresh cranberries
1 c. diced apple or mango
1 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. dried ginger or 1 Tbs. grated fresh ginger
Optional: hot pepper or dried cayenne
Directions: Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Once the butter has melted, turn the heat to medium and add the diced onion and bell peppers, sautéing for a few minutes. Next, add vinegar, brown sugar, raisins, and cranberries and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the diced apples or mango, allspice, ginger, and hot pepper if using, and cook for another 10 minutes.
For the sweet potatoes:
6 medium sweet sotatoes
2-3 Tbs. olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 c. sour cream or Greek yogurt
Directions: Start by preheating the oven to 350°F. Then wash and dry the sweet potatoes, rub them with the olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook on a baking sheet for about 1 hour or until done. Once they are fully cooked, cut them in half, top with sour cream or greek yogurt and the cranberry chutney. Baked winter squash is also a good vehicle for this tasty chutney!
Cranberry-Orange Relish…and then some!
Adapted from a recipe by Martha Rose Shulman
This recipe is so versatile and you can make so many versions of it with different flavor profiles. It’s good with yogurt, granola, cheese and crackers, sandwiches, brats, salads, and soups.
2 pints cranberries
1 navel orange
1/3 c. honey (or more or less to taste)
1/2 c. pecans
Directions: Wash the cranberries and orange and then cut the orange in the chunks, skin and all. Put them in the food processor, along with the honey. Chop until finely minced, but not pureed. You still want it to have a bit of crunchy texture. The pecans could go in the food processor as well, if you plan to eat it right away. Otherwise, it’s best to add the nuts at the time of serving so they hold their crunch. Other optional additions or substitutions include fresh ginger, fresh mint, grapefruit (maybe not the rind though), pistachios, pomegranate, whole lemon instead of orange, walnuts, cloves, cinnamon, apple, celery, onion, pickles, and jalapeños.
I hope you’ll give one of these easy, yet flavorful recipes a try and get more of these under-utilized berries onto your home menu!