A couple of my peaches ripened overnight and I decided to try making some peach salsa to go with my lunch.  As I dug through my fridge for salsa ingredients, I realized that I was out of both jalapeño and serrano chiles, one of which I had been hoping to use in the salsa.  Since I didn’t feel like running to the store before lunch, I dug a little further in the fridge and found a container of Peppadews I had purchased last week.

Peppadews are small, round, sweet, and tangy pickled peppers from South Africa.  Locally, I’ve seen them at Whole Foods and Fresh & Easy, but they seem to be popping up at other mainstream grocery stores, as well.  Although they can be a bit pricey, they are definitely worth seeking out as the flavor is fantastic.  My favorite way to eat them is stuffed with goat cheese.  If you need a quick and easy appetizer that will really wow your guests, goat cheese-stuffed Peppadews are definitely the way to go.

I decided the Peppadews might work in the peach salsa, so I chopped up a handful of them and tossed them in a bowl with the peaches.  Some red onion, cilantro, and lime juice rounded out the mixture, but the salsa was definitely lacking heat.  A generous pinch of crushed red pepper did the trick.  The salsa is fantastic!  This is the type of recipe that really should be tinkered with until it becomes your own.  The ingredient amounts listed are what I used today, but please just think of it as a guideline.

If you’re interested in learning more about Peppadews, head over to Phoo-D and read more.

Peach and Peppadew Salsa

2 large Peaches, peeled and chopped
6 peppadews, diced
1/4 Red Onion, diced
juice of one lime (start with 1/2 then add more if desired)
pinch of crushed red pepper, or to taste
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves, or to taste
salt, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Taste, and adjust ingredients as desired.

Related Recipes:

• Fresh Tomatillo Salsa
• Peach Cobbler
• Grilled Peaches with Blue Cheese and Honey
• Nectarine Muffins

Around the Web:

• Grilled Peach Salsa from Guilty Kitchen
• Habanero Peach Salsa from Homesick Texan
• Sour Cherry and Peach Salsa from Eat Make Read
• Smoky Peach Salsa from Phoo-D

Bacon is good.  Bacon with tart cherry balsamic glaze is even better.  The nice thing about this dish is that once you pour this delicious glaze over a pile of healthy green beans, and you don’t even have to feel guilty about the bacon.

This is easy enough to be thrown together for a weeknight meal, but after you taste it you’ll want to serve it at a dinner party.  It might even find its way to your holiday table.  It’s that good.

If you’re not a fan of green beans, or if you tend to prefer meat with your bacon, try this glaze spooned over a grilled pork tenderloin – trust me, you’ll love it.

Green Beans with Tart Cherry Balsamic Glaze

3 slices bacon
1 small shallot, diced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup dried tart cherries
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 pound green beans, trimmed and rinsed
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a saute pan, cook the bacon until brown and crisp. Remove bacon and let drain on a paper towel then remove all but 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings from the pan. Add shallots to the pan and let cook over medium-low heat for a few minutes until softened and just starting to brown. Add chicken broth and stir up any brown bits left from the bacon. Add cherries and balsamic vinegar and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low and let simmer, stirring occasionally until thick and syrupy, 15-20 minutes.

While glaze is reducing, steam green beans until crisp-tender. When glaze is reduced to a syrupy state, season to taste with salt and pepper. Add steamed green beans to pan with the glaze and toss until they are lightly coated. Remove green beans to a platter using tongs, then pour remaining glaze and cherries over the top of the beans. Crumble the bacon slices over the beans and serve.

Yield: 4 servings

I’m not sure what the weather is like in your neck of the woods, but here in California it’s definitely grilling season.  While I’m a big fan of grilled meat, I think I might like grilled squash even more.  Usually I do nothing more than dress some zucchini slices with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper before tossing them on the grill, but I wanted to do something a little different with the gorgeous yellow squash I picked up at the Farmer’s Market last week.  I hope you enjoy it!

Grilled Yellow Squash with Fresh Dill Vinaigrette and Feta

4 – 6 small yellow squash (or zucchini)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (or substitute your favorite vinegar)
2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 shallot, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
4 – 6 small yellow squash (or zucchini)
crumbled feta cheese

1. Preheat gas grill or prepare coals for charcoal grill
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together mustard, vinegar, and chopped dill.  Slowly whisk in olive oil, season with salt and pepper to taste, then stir in shallot slices;  set aside.
3. Slice squash in half, lengthwise, then add them all to the bowl of vinaigrette.  Toss to coat.
4. Remove squash from marinade and grill over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes on each side until grill marks appear and the squash is just tender.  Remove to a plate, spoon remaining vinaigrette over the squash and sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese.  Serve immediately.

Related Recipes:

• Grilled Corn, Mango, and Jicama Salad
• Bacon-Wrapped Beef Medallions with Smoked Paprika Butter
• Grilled Peaches with Blue Cheese and Honey

Around the Web:

• Grilling Vegetables 101 from Bitchin’ Camero
• Grilled Balsamic Summer Squash from Rookie Cookie
• Grilled Zucchini Greek Salad from Kalyn’s Kitchen
• Grilled Zucchini with Sour Cherry Couscous from Fig & Cherry

This is a quick lunch I threw together from what I could find in my fridge and pantry today.  I wanted something to go with the leftover grilled steak and chicken I brought home from a family barbecue the other night and this delicious brown rice salad really fit the bill.

The salad works well as either a side dish or a light vegetarian main course for lunch.  Top with thinly sliced grilled chicken, steak, or tempeh and you have a hearty and delicious summer meal.  Feel free to play with ingredient amounts to suit your own taste.  I think it would be great topped with some sliced avocado and roasted pepitas.

Brown Rice Salad with Cumin and Lime Vinaigrette

1 small clove garlic, peeled and smashed
generous pinch of kosher salt
zest and juice of one lime (about 2 tablespoons of juice)
1 teaspoon ground cumin*
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 cups cooked brown rice, cooled
1 cup canned garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
3 T. chopped green chiles (I used canned)
1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Put garlic clove and salt in a small bowl and mash them together with a fork to form a paste.  Add lime juice, zest, and cumin.  Whisk lime juice mixture together then slowly whisk in the olive oil.  Taste, adjust salt as needed; set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine brown rice, garbanzo beans, chopped green chiles, tomatoes, and cilantro.  Add dressing and toss gently to combine.  Can be served immediately.  If made ahead and refrigerated, allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Recipe notes: *Cumin is much more flavorful if you start with whole seeds, toast them, then grind them yourself.  I toasted one teaspoon of whole cumin seeds in a dry skillet just until fragrant then ground them into a powder using a clean coffee grinder.  If I would have had some on hand, I would have tossed a handful of roasted pepitas into the salad.

Related Recipes:

• How to Cook Perfect Brown Rice
• Cilantro Caesar Salad with Carne Asada
• Herbed Tuna Salad with Feta and Pine Nuts
• Orange Cranberry Salad with Walnuts and Blue Cheese
• Rice Pilaf with Raisins and Pine Nuts
• Whole Wheat Green Orzo Salad

Around the Web:

• Wild Rice Salad from Simply Recipes
• Broccoli Rice Salad with Sesame-Ginger Dressing from Fatfree Vegan Kitchen
• Fresh Asparagus Rice Salad from Eating Out Loud
• Brown Rice Salad with Turkey, Red Cabbage and Pecans from Kalyn’s Kitchen
• Chicken and Wild Rice Salad from Culinary in the Country

Last summer I made my first batch of homemade jam – peach jam, to be exact.  While not difficult, the process was a bit labor-intensive:  I sterilized jars, peeled and chopped fruit, boiled down the fruit and sugar, and even processed the filled jars in a water bath.  It was well worth the effort and I was quite proud of myself for successfully preserving that small bit of the summer’s bounty.  And with that first batch of jam under my belt, I had been making plans to can all kinds of jam this summer.

But now I’ve discovered freezer jam.

Today I made fresh strawberry jam in less than 30 minutes and it might be the best strawberry jam I’ve ever tasted!  I didn’t have to deal with hot glass jars or bubbling hot fruit lava either.

I’ve heard people talk about freezer jam for years but I never really understood the difference between freezer jam and what I thought of as “real jam.”  All I knew was that freezer jam was supposed to be much easier to make than jam canned the old-fashioned way.  I figured that since it was so easy to prepare, freezer jam must somehow be inferior to the homemade jam that I grew up eating.

I was completely wrong.

Strawberry freezer jam is different than the strawberry jam I grew up eating, but it’s certainly not inferior.  Because the berries aren’t cooked, the jam has a much fresher flavor than canned strawberry jam.  Freezer jam isn’t as thick as the canned jam, but it has a nice spoonable consistency that works equally well as a spread or a topping.  I’m planning on stirring some into plain yogurt for breakfast.

The main difference between freezer jam and canned jam is how it’s stored.  Because it has not been cooked, freezer jam must be stored in the refrigerator or freezer.  It will only last a few weeks in the refrigerator, so it’s best to store it in small containers that will be used up fast.  You can keep one container in the refrigerator and store the rest in the freezer for up to a year.

For today’s strawberry jam I used Ball No Cook Freezer Jam Pectin.  I followed the instructions on the package and even used the same brand of freezer jam jars, although any little plastic containers would work fine for storing the jam.

First I chopped a bunch of strawberries up in my food processor – enough to make four cups of strawberry purée.  This step can easily be done by hand if you don’t have a food processor – just hull and chop the berries and mash them with a potato masher.  You want to leave a bit of texture in the jam, so don’t mash them completely.

Next I stirred in one and half cups of sugar (MUCH less sugar than is required for canned jam), the package of freezer jam pectin, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.  The lemon juice wasn’t included in the package instructions, but it sounded good to me.  I stirred everything together for a few minutes until the sugar and pectin were completely dissolved.

Once it was all stirred up, I poured the jam into clean plastic freezer jars.  That’s it!  It was really that simple.  I now have one jar in the fridge and four jars in the freezer to either give away or continue eating in the coming months.

If you’re intimidated by the process of canning jam but have always wanted to give it a try, I highly recommend you start with freezer jam.  Have fun!

While many types of green salsa feature cooked or roasted tomatillos, this one is a simple mixture of fresh ingredients that can be thrown together in a matter of minutes.  But it’s not just the ease of preparation that makes this salsa great – I absolutely love the texture and refreshing flavor of the fresh tomatillos.

Beneath their thin, papery husks, tomatillos look much like small green tomatoes.  But unlike their sweet and juicy cousins, tomatillos are mostly eaten while still firm and tart.  Choose tomatillos that are small, firm, and bright green with fresh-looking husks.  They can be stored on the counter for a few days or in the fridge for a couple of weeks.  Leave the husks on the fruit until ready to use.  To prepare tomatillos, remove the husk and stem and rinse off the remaining sticky residue that coats the fruit.

Tomatillos form the base of many delicious Latin American sauces, but I think their bright flavor really shines in this simple salsa verde.  If you’re new to using tomatillos this is a perfect place to start.

Fresh Tomatillo Salsa
adapted from Mexican Everyday
serves four

1/2 pound tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and quartered
2 serrano peppers or 1 jalapeño pepper, chopped*
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves
heaping 1/2 teaspoon salt
squeeze of fresh lime juice**

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse to combine and get juices flowing.  Blend on low speed until a coarse puree is formed.  Pour into a dish, taste and add more salt or lime if desired.  Salsa can be thinned with a bit of water if desired.

Recipe Notes: *This amount of chiles produces a medium-spicy salsa; if you’d like it milder, use only one serrano or half a jalapeño.  If you want an extremely mild salsa (no heat), remove seeds from peppers.  **The lime juice is entirely optional as the tomatillos will lend their own tartness to the salsa.  I like lime with cilantro, so I always use a bit.

Related Recipes:

• Chili Garlic Chips
• Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
• Black Bean Dip with Whole Wheat Pita Chips
• Creamy Blue Cheese Dip with Lemon and Chives
• Deviled Eggs

Around the Web:

• Tomatillo Salsa with Roasted Green Chiles from Kalyn’s Kitchen
• Roasted Tomatillo Guacamole from Food Blogga
• Salsa Verde from Closet Cooking
• Roasted Tomatillo Salsa from Inspired Taste
• Tomatillo Salsa from My Colombian Recipes

My sister is a huge fan of roasted red pepper hummus so she was one inspiration behind me creating my own version at home.  The other inspiration was my fancy new blender that I just knew would create the smoothest, creamiest hummus I’ve ever made.

And I was right.  This was the smoothest, creamiest hummus that has ever come from my kitchen.

I’ve been without a regular blender for over a year now.  The last one I owned, an overpriced and under-performing Kitchen Aid blender, broke as soon as the warranty expired.  And I wasn’t in a big rush to run out and replace it with another piece of junk.  I’ve never been a huge fan of blenders because I have never owned one that worked really well.  Sure, they all claim to crush ice.  But they never really do.

I knew that there was another class of blenders out there that could do all sorts of wonderful things, but they have always been way out of my budget.  So I’ve made do with my food processor and immersion blender and for the most part have been perfectly happy.  But I’ve always been secretly envious of those lucky Vita-Mix owners.  And yes, I have been researching high-powered blenders for the past year, silently wishing to have one one of these mystical machines taking up more of my precious counter space.

And then it happened.  I innocently went on a trip to Costco with my sister and brother-in-law.  I was there with good intentions.  My main mission was to pick up some new books and dvds to send to Justin in Iraq, and I had just placed a dvd set of 24: Season 7 in the cart when I heard the sound:  a blender!  I couldn’t help myself, I started walking towards the sound and the gathering crowd.  On the table was one of the two blenders I had been dreaming of for the past year.  It was a Blendtec, and I was instantly hooked.

I stood there wide-eyed as the showman created something with the texture of ice cream out of nothing more than a handful of strawberries and some ice cubes.  I eagerly tasted the samples of the ‘whole fruit’ juice he made after throwing a mixture of fruits, peel and all, into the miraculous machine.  Penny and Robert eventually found me and started laughing uncontrollably when they saw me standing there, transfixed.

I know, I know.  It was like being sucked into a real-life infomercial.  Except this was a product that I knew.  It was a product that I had researched.  And that’s how they got me.  It didn’t help that Penny and Robert were standing there urging me to do it.  One of my brother-in-law’s favorite pastimes is to take me to Costco and see how much money he can get me to spend on things I don’t really need.  For him, this was the mother lode!

So you’ve already figured out that I bought it.  It’s been over a month now and do I regret it?  Not one bit!  This ‘blender’ is amazing.  It will pulverize anything I put in there, wet or dry.  I can grind grains into flour, I can grind nuts and spices, even tiny amounts.  I can make velvety smooth sauces.  And of course, it makes excellent hummus.  I’m not gonna lie, these things are expensive and plenty of you will think I’m crazy.  But for me, it was worth it.

My name is Nicole and I am in love with my blender.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled and seeded*
1 tablespoon chopped red onion
1 clove of garlic, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon tahini
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon sriracha (or to taste)
scant 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 – 1 teaspoon kosher salt (to taste)

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth.  You may have to stop to stir and/or scrape down the ingredients a few times.

Leftover hummus can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for a few days.  I’ve also heard that it freezes well, but we never have any leftovers!

* I know that roasted red peppers are available in jars at the grocery store, but they are so easy (and in most cases cheaper) to roast at home.  And of course, freshly roasted peppers taste much better than the ones from a jar.  Here are instructions for roasting red peppers. And did you know that you can freeze roasted peppers?  Why not roast a bunch at once and then freeze the leftovers?  Here are instructions for freezing roasted peppers.

While we mostly eat guacamole during spring and summer when Southern California is bursting with fresh, local avocados, I couldn’t resist digging through the large pile of perfectly ripe Haas avocados at the grocery store the other day. I guess I can thank the Superbowl for that!

Why is homemade guacamole so often reserved for special occasions and social gatherings? Considering that avocados are really good for you and fresh guacamole is so delicious and easy to prepare, I think it makes a perfect afternoon snack. In fact I love making small batches just for me!

Worried about calories? You should know by now that the avocados are filled with the good fats your body needs.  And you don’t always have to always eat guacamole with deep-fried tortilla chips (although that’s still my preferred method of getting guac into my mouth). Instead, try serving it with Whole Wheat Pita Chips and you’ll have a filling, nutritious snack to get you through the afternoon.

After years of making overly complicated but average tasting batches of guacamole, I finally realized something. Guacamole is best left simple and fresh. Avocado, onion, chile, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper are the only ingredients needed. Nothing dried or powdered, no extra spices, no secret ingredients. I don’t even add garlic. And to me, this is the best tasting guacamole around.

The method is simple.

First prep your ingredients: remove the stem and seeds from a fresh serrano chile (or jalapeno) and then mince it. The seeds and white membrane inside the chile hold the majority of the heat, removing them keeps the guacamole from being too spicy. Make sure not to touch your eyes after handling the fresh chile pepper!

Next, remove the thick stems from half a bunch of cilantro and put the leaves in a pile.

Run your knife back and forth through the pile of leaves until the cilantro is finely chopped. You should end up with about three tablespoons of finely chopped cilantro.

Next, mince one quarter of a red onion. You should end up with about 1/4 cup minced onion (to learn the best method for chopping an onion, read this post).

Squeeze the juice of one lime into a small bowl. You’ll need about two tablespoons of juice.

Prep work is finished, now you’re ready to make the guacamole! Cut your avocados in half and remove the large seed.

Use a big spoon to remove the avocado from it’s skin, it should come out easily if the avocado is ripe (and it better be ripe!).

Put all four halves of  peeled avocado into a medium bowl and add a tablespoon of lime juice. Mash it all up with a fork, making it as chunky or smooth as you want. The lime juice adds flavor, but also keeps the avocado from turning an ugly brown color, which is why I have you add some of the juice at this point.

Once the avocado is mashed, stir in the onion, chile, cilantro, salt, and a dash or two of fresh ground black pepper. Taste the guacamole and add enough of the remaining lime juice to taste. I like lots of lime juice, so I use most of it! Keep tasting and adjusting seasonings until you get it right or the guacamole is gone!

Homemade guacamole is simple to make and tastes so much better than the store-bought varieties, you’ll soon be wheeling your cart right past those plastic tubs of green goop without a second glance.  Enjoy!

Guacamole

2 ripe Haas avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
1 serrano or jalapeno chile, seeded and minced
3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro leaves
1/4 cup minced red onion (about 1/4 of an onion)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
scant 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (or to taste)
freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

In a medium bowl, mash together avocado halves and one tablespoon of lime juice with a fork. Add chile, cilantro and onion and mix well.  Add salt, pepper, and remaining lime juice to taste.

Yield: about four servings

Recipe Notes: I find this guacamole to be only mildly spicy, but If you would like less spice, start with only half of a chile and make sure to remove all the seeds and white membrane before mincing.  If you would like a very spicy guacamole, leaves the seeds in and/or use more chiles.  And of course, all ingredients can be adjusted to suit your own taste!

Related Recipes:

• Avocado Pie
• Black Bean Dip with Whole Wheat Pita Chips
• Chili Garlic Corn Chips
• Creamy Blue Cheese Dip with Lemon and Chives
• Smoky Tuna Dip
• Cilantro Lemon Dipping Sauce

Around the Web:

• A Twist on Guacamole from 101 Cookbooks
• Guacamole from Andrea’s Recipes
• Perfect Guacamole from Simply Recipes
• Gourmet’s Mango Pomegranate Guacamole from Serious Eats
• Authentic Mexican Guacamole from Whipped

I love lemons.  Love love love them!  So it should come as no surprise that lemon curd is one of my favorite treats.  Sweet and tart, rich and creamy, it’s just one of those perfect creations that I can’t imagine living without.

I first tasted lemon curd only a couple of years ago.  I was staying with my aunt and uncle and was going through a ’scone stage.’ I don’t know how many batches of scones I made in a week, but it was plenty.  Since I’ve always heard that lemon curd is the perfect accompaniment to scones, I decided to try a batch.  My Aunt Kathy and I fell in love with it and now my scones just seem lonely when I eat them without lemon curd.

Well, I’m going through a scone stage once again so I decided to try out the Lemon Curd recipe from The Gourmet Cookbook.  I generally have a hard time following a recipe without changing anything, but this lemon curd was made exactly as directed.  I have to warn you that it’s very, very tart.  But I absolutely love it that way!  I’ve eaten it on several cranberry orange scones (these but with orange zest instead of lemon) and I’ve also been stirring it into bowls of my favorite plain Greek yogurt.  And since this recipe made quite a large batch, I might just have to bake some more scones in the morning!

Although I am really enjoying this batch of lemon curd, it’s not as thick as other recipes I’ve tried. I’m not sure if it’s something I did wrong, or if it’s supposed to be this way, but I think next time I might try this Foolproof Way to Make Luscious, Light Lemon Curd that I read about at Fine Cooking.

Lemon Curd
from The Gourmet Cookbook, edited by Ruth Reichl

1 Tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/3 cups sugar
4 large eggs
pinch of salt
14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons

1. Whisk together lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, eggs, and salt in a heavy medium-sized saucepan. Cook, stirring, over moderately low heat until mixture warms, then add butter and cook, whisking constantly, until curd is thick enough to hold the marks of the whisk and first bubbles appear on surface, about 10 minutes.

2. Immediately pour curd through a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl, stirring with a wooden spoon to help force it through.  Discard what is left in strainer.  Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally, then refrigerate, covered, until cold.

Yield: about three cups

Recipe Notes: For me, it took much longer than ten minutes for the lemon curd to thicken, although I think that might have had something to do with the faulty burners on my stove.  However, it never thickened enough to hold the marks of the whisk like the recipe said.  I finally removed it from the heat when it was visibly bubbling and poured it through the strainer.  It did thicken in the fridge, but it’s still not nearly as thick as lemon curds I’ve made in the past, so keep that in mind. The lemon curd can be kept, refrigerated, for about a week.  And I’ve heard that it can also be frozen, although I haven’t tried that myself.  Also, as I mentioned earlier, this is a very, very tart lemon curd. This is perfect for my taste, but if you prefer more sweet than tart, you should perhaps try a different version of lemon curd.  I’ll add links below to several recipes.

Lemon curd is wonderful spread on fresh, hot scones but it’s also great on muffins, or even toast.  The Gourmet Cookbook suggests folding it into whipped cream for an instant lemon mousse, and I’ve already mentioned how much I love it stirred into some thick, plain yogurt.

Related Recipes:

• Buttermilk Cranberry Scones
• Apricot Cream Scones
• Quick and Easy Lemon Cake
• Giant Lemon Sugar Cookies
• Blueberry Lemon Cupcakes

Around the Web:

• Lemon Curd from Becks and Posh
• Homemade Lemon Curd from Lex Culinaria
• Alton Brown’s Lemon Curd from Food Network
• Lemon Curd for Scottish Shortbread from Fine Cooking

And today we have the final recipes in the Holiday Recipes series I’ve been putting on with Amanda and Tyler of What We’re Eating.  At our pre-holiday dinner, Amanda made a delicious cranberry sauce that included persimmons and just a touch of fresh rosemary.  I would never have thought to add rosemary to cranberry sauce, but the combination was perfect!

I decided to pair my cranberries with apples, fresh ginger, and lots of sugar for a sweet-tart sauce that is the epitome of fall.  Since I’ve always loved the homemade applesauce my grandma serves every year with the Christmas ham, I decided to make an applesauce that goes well with turkey, too!  This one definitely fits the bill.  And I added the big dose of fresh ginger with my husband in mind, as that’s one of his favorite flavors.

For those of you who have never made homemade applesauce, this will be a revelation.  Just throw a whole bunch of apples in the pot with a bit of water and sugar and it practically makes itself.  If you’d like to make plain applesauce using this recipe, omit the berries and ginger, reduce the sugar a bit and throw a couple cinnamon sticks into the pot.  Proceed with directions and remove the cinnamon sticks at the end.  Of course you can add some ground cinnamon at the end and even use the fresh ginger if you like.  Once you make homemade applesauce for the first time, you’ll never be happy with the store-bought stuff again.

Cranberry Applesauce with Fresh Ginger

4-5 pounds baking apples, peeled, cored and quartered*
1 cup water
juice from 1/2 lemon
1 cup water
1 12 oz. package cranberries
1-2 cups sugar**
1 tablespoon grated ginger
pinch of salt

Place apples in a large saucepan or dutch oven.  Squeeze lemon juice into the cup of water then pour over the apples.  Add cranberries, sugar, grated ginger, and a pinch of salt.  Stir, then bring mixture to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  When apples are soft enough to mash with a spoon, remove from heat.  Mash with a potato masher, or for a smoother texture, run mixture through a food mill.  Let cool, then refrigerate in a covered container until ready to use.  Can be refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for up to a year.

Recipe Notes: *I used a combination of Granny Smith and Golden Delicous apples. **The amount of sugar is up to you.  If you prefer a very tart sauce, you might even use less than a cup.  2 cups of sugar will give you a sweet, dessert-like sauce.  You can always start out with a small amount and stir more in towards the end of cooking.  I prefer my sauce sweet!

Yield: about 7 cups

In case you missed any of the other recipes in our holiday series this month, you can see them all below.  Click on a photo to be taken to the recipe.  Happy holiday planning!

Sourdough Stuffing with Apples and Bacon

Mashed Potatoes with Cream Cheese

Sweet Potato Buttermilk Dinner Rolls

And the Holiday Recipe Series continues over at What We’re Eating with:

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes Wrapped in Prosciutto

Herb Roasted Turkey Breast

Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing

Cranberry Sauce with Rosemary and Persimmon