18 November 2010

Cranberry Salsa and Procrastination

Regular readers may have been wondering, “When the heck is Tinky going to get around to Thanksgiving?”

I’m a last-minute girl in a last-minute family, I’m afraid. So we’re only now starting—and I do mean starting—to talk about the menu for next Thursday.

In case you can’t wait until Wednesday night at midnight for suggestions, here are a few posts from the past to enhance your Thanksgiving plans (many more can be found on this blog!):

Cyndie’s Cheesy Corn Pudding
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Cider-Maple Vinaigrette
Cranberry Waldorf Salad
Parker House Rolls
Hush Puppy Pudding AND Cranberry Chiffon Pie
Cranberry Apple Crumb Pie
Pumpkin Gingerbread Pudding
and my personal favorite, Cranberry Cream Puffs


As we contemplate contemplating Thanksgiving my family members are enjoying a combination of two of our favorite foods, cranberries and salsa.

The salsa below is quite mild. At one time, I thought all salsas had to be ultra hot. Lately, however, my palate is craving subtlety.

You may of course add more jalapeño—even more lime and cilantro if you wish.

We’re enjoying this version right now on chips and on crackers with cream cheese. We may even throw it on the Thanksgiving table next to the turkey and see what happens.

By the way, dear readers, I’d love it if you’d take just a moment to support this blog. It’s a finalist in something called the “Blog of the Year” competition. Just go to the voting station at the Blog Revue and click on “In Our Grandmothers’ Kitchens.”

This is a simple vote; you don’t have to register or anything weird like that. I’ll let you know if I win. Thank you—and now here’s the salsa recipe.


Cranberry Salsa

Ingredients:

2 to 3 scallions, chopped (white part and some green)
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced (more if you like spice)
1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
the juice of 1 lime
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups homemade whole-berry cranberry sauce (I could give you the recipe, but honestly it’s on the side of most bags of cranberries; just add a pinch of salt to the basic formula)

Instructions:

In a medium bowl combine the scallions, pepper, cilantro, and lime juice. Stir in the salt, then the cranberries.

Mix thoroughly. Chill, covered, for at least 1 hour before serving.

Makes about 2-1/2 cups.


Miss Mogli is not sure what to make of cranberry salsa. The human members of the Weisblat family love it.

5 comments:

  1. Every year Malcolm reminisces about the time he was working in Texas and was invited to celebrate Thanksgiving by a colleague. Yes, they had turkey .... but it was deep fried in a huge pot in what seemed like gallons of peanut oil on a gas burner out in the garden. (but it was tasty and moist!!)

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  2. Yum! I love any kind of sweet salsa or relish with cream cheese, this sounds like it has the perfect balance of heat and sweet! I voted for you, good luck!!

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  3. Tinky - You've got my vote. Good luck!
    Cranberry salsa sounds good especially with cream cheese.

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  4. I am just starting to think about Thanksgiving which will be at my daughter's house. Inspired by a new cookbook, Recipes from the Root Cellar, I am bringing an untraditional Festive and Fruity Cabbage Salad, a fancy kind of coleslaw. It looks so delicious I am giving it a trial run this weekend.

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  5. Commonweeder, the book and the coleslaw sound ideal. Ramona and EveryDay, thanks for voting. Frayed, I've heard about such turkeys but never encountered one in person (rather a relief, actually!)

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