When it comes to holiday decor, the cranberry has proven it can hold its own on a string of popcorn kernels. But here in cranberry country, the plump red berry from the coastal bogs contributes in a far more inspirational way to our regional cuisine.
Beyond cranberry sauce. Even beyond cranberry bread and cranberry juice. In the Pacific Northwest, cranberries are paired with such complementary partners as salmon, Cornish game hens, sturgeon, wild rice and, of course, cheesecake.
Cranberries grow on a low-lying vine through the spring and summer months. Growers flood the cranberry beds when they are ready to harvest, which causes the vines bearing the fruit to rise. This allows harvesters to move over the water and manually loosen the fruit from the vines. At this point, the brilliant red berries are so tightly crowded against one another the bogs resemble a plush red carpet.
Finally, the bobbing berries are corraled with wooden or inflatable booms and pumped or pushed into trucks.
From the growers trucks, the cranberries ultimately make it to market where creative cooks are then able to work with their tart-yet-flavorful character.
Leek salad with ham and cranberries
12small leeks
6cups chicken stock
1/2cup cranberries
2ounces ham, chopped
1tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1/4cup olive oil
2tablespoons vegetable oil
2tablespoons lemon juice
1teaspoon Dijon mustard
2garlic cloves, minced
1/2-1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
Wash and trim the leeks, using all the white portion and 4 inches of the green; set aside. Bring the chicken stock to a boil and add the cranberries. Cook the berries just until they begin to pop. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Tie the leeks together in bunches of three and add to the stock. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook 10 minutes until softened. Remove from the stock and cool. Set the stock aside for another use. (It will be a little cloudy but will have a wonderful flavor.)
Combine the parsley, the oils, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix well. Combine the ham and cranberries and add 2 tablespoons of the dressing. Arrange 3 leeks on each of four salad plates and drizzle with a small amount of the dressing. Top with the ham and cranberry mixture.
Yields 4 servings.
Recipe from "Thyme and the River" by Sharon Van Loan
and Patricia Lee
Cornish hens with fruited wild rice stuffing
1/2cup whole cranberries, fresh or frozen
1cup water
1/3cup chopped dried apricots
1tablespoon sugar
1tablespoon light corn syrup
1tablespoon dry sherry
1/2cup finely chopped onion
2garlic cloves, minced
1tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
5tablespoons butter
2 2/3cups chicken stock
16-ounce package Uncle Ben’s Original Long Grain Wild Rice
1/2cup pine nuts or slivered almonds, toasted
4Cornish game hens (about 20 ounces each)
2tablespoons soy sauce
1tablespoon apricot preserves
Dried apricot halves (optional
Parsley (optional)
Combine cranberries and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook 1 minute or until the skins pop. Remove from the heat and add the apricots. Let stand 1 minute. Drain, reserving the liquid. Stir the sugar, corn syrup and sherry into the cranberries and apricots. Set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat and cook the onion, garlic, and ginger 1 minute. Add 2 cups of the broth and the contents of the rice to the onion mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until all liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Stir the reserved fruit mixture and pine nuts into the rice.
Fill each hen cavity with approximately 1/2cup rice stuffing. Skewer openings if desired. Place hens on a rack (if you have one; otherwise, just on the bottom of the pan) in a large, shallow roasting pan. Melt 2 tablespoons of the remaining butter, add the soy sauce and baste the hens evenly. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven 1 hour or until the juices run clear when the hens are pierced with a fork. Baste every 15 minutes while the hens are cooking.
Remove the hens from the rack; keep warm. Add reserved fruit liquid and remaining 2/3 cup chicken stock to degreased pan drippings. Bring to a boil. Continue cooking to reduce by half (or until thickened as desired). Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the apricot preserves. Serve the apricot glaze over the hens. If desired, garnish with dried apricot halves and parsley. Makes 4 servings.
Note: Any remaining stuffing may be baked in a separate dish at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until heated through.
Recipe from "Thyme and the River" by Sharon Van Loan and Patricia Lee
This is a tart, soft-textured jelly, very unlike its canned counterpart.
Cranberry jelly
12ounces (1 package) fresh cranberries
1cup water
1 1/2cups sugar
Salt
Wash cranberries. Bring the water to a boil, add the cranberries, and boil for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep from burning, especially at the end. Press the berries through a strainer or food mill. Return them to the pot and cook over low heat for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the sugar to taste and a pinch of salt and cook 2 minutes more. Pour into a bowl and chill. Will keep in your refrigerator for several weeks.
Yields 2 1/2 cups.
Recipe from "The Fannie Farmer Cookbook" by Marian Cuningham
A spicy, pale pink concoction that looks very glamorous served in stemmed cocktail glasses, cranberry gin is also good on sorbet or granita, the grainy Italian ice. Use fresh cranberries when they are in season or frozen ones all year-round.
Cranberry gin
1(750 ml) bottle of gin
About 2 1/2 cups cranberries
1/2cup granulated sugar
A few blanched almonds, cracked
11-inch piece of cinnamon stick
2whole cloves
Pour the gin into another container. Prick the cranberries with a skewer or fork and put them in the empty gin bottle until it is half full. Add the sugar, almonds and spices. Pour back as much of the gin as possible to fill the bottle, then cap firmly. For several days, keep shaking the bottle occasionally until the sugar is dissolved. Store in a cool, dark place for about 3 months before straining and rebottling. (Note: If you want to make another batch with the remainder of the gin, note how much you used for the first batch and repeat the recipe using that amount.)
Recipe from "Edible Gifts" by Claire Clifton and Martina Nicolls
After a heavy meal, you’ll find this light, smooth sour cream custard just the right touch. You might even be able to convince yourself that it is low calorie because it has yogurt in it. After one bite, though, it won’t matter.
Swedish cream with cranberry-Grand Marnier puree
2teaspoons gelatin
1tablespoon cold water
1 1/2cups heavy cream
1/2cup sugar
1/4cup plain yogurt
3/4cup sour cream
1/2teaspoon vanilla (Mexican, if possible)
2tablespoons Grand Marnier
Cranberry-Grand Marnier sauce (recipe follows)
Soften the gelatin in the cold water. When soft, add the heavy cream and sugar. Place pan on medium heat, stirring constantly with a spoon until gelatin dissolves; make sure you reach to pan’s corners when stirring. Do not allow mixture to boil. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl; let mixture cool — about 20 minutes — stirring occasionally.
Fold in the yogurt, sour cream, vanilla and grand marnier. Pour mixture into 6 serving glasses or parfait glasses, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour. Top each dessert with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the cranberry Grand Marnier sauce, and then a rosette of whipped cream. Yields 6 servings.
Cranberry-Grand Marnier sauce: In a saucepan, combine 2 cups of water, 1 pound of fresh or frozen cranberries, and 2 cups sugar; bring to a boil, then simmer until the skins begin to pop open, about 10 minutes. Run the mixture through a food mill or a food processor, then strain by pushing the pulp through a strainer. Stir in 1/4 cup grand marnier and 1 teaspoon grated orange peel. Yields 2 cups cranberry sauce. (Note: This may seem like too much, but the recipe can be cut in half; it freezes extremely well. The sauce is also ideal as a topping for french vanilla ice cream.
"The Ark; Cuisine of the Pacific Northwest" by Jimella Lucas and Nanci Main
Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis, Oregon, food writer, cookbook author and artist. Readers can contact her by e-mail at janrd@proaxis.com.
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