Food of the Minute - Cranberries

October is here, suddenly, it seems, and I am only now realizing that I didn't post a Food of the Month, a little habit I started back in July when raspberries were in season. So, instead, I have a Food of the Minute for you, cranberries in time for Thanksgiving weekend and beyond. I'll spare you my usual banter and hand over some great cranberry recipes I love.  You will too.

Cranberry sauce is a beautiful concept. So is this Cranberry Chutney, adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe, a perfect pairing for turkey dinner or to jazz up a cheese plate:

Cranberry Chutney

1 tbsp. canola oil; 1 small onion, finely chopped; 1 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries; 1 cup raisins; 1 cup runny honey; 2 tbsp. fresh grated ginger; 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon; 1/4 tsp. ground star anise (optional); 1 tbsp. yellow mustard seeds; 1/4 tsp. ground cloves; 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar; 3/4  cup orange or apple jucie; 2 apples, peeled, cored and diced; 1 stalk celery, diced small (about 1/2 cup), 1 tsp. salt or to taste; freshly ground pepper to taste; hot pepper flakes to taste.

In a medium saucepan heat oil and cook onion until soft, about 4 minutes. Add all the remaining ingredients to the saucepan and bring mixture to a boil.  Reduce the heat so mixture simmers. Cranberries will pop open and break down. Cook until the apples and cranberries are softened and the chutney is thickened, about 20 minutes or so. Stir often at the end of cooking to avoid scorching. Let the chutney cool. Pack it into jars and store in the fridge.

Also worth making in the theme of cranberries are these gorgeous Oatmeal and Cranberry Muffins adapted from Marie Simmons miniature but superb book Muffins A to Z. Bursting with exploded fresh cranberries, studded with walnuts and laden with wholesome oatmeal and whole wheat flour, these ruby-flecked gems are the perfect offering when cranberries are at hand. 

Oatmeal and Cranberry Muffins

1+1/2 cups milk; 1+1/3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, plus more for topping; 1/3 cup unsalted butter; 2/3 cup whole wheat flour; 2/3 cup all-purpose unbleached flour; 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar; 2 tsp. baking powder; 1 tsp. baking soda; 1/2 tsp. salt; 1 tsp. ground cinnamon; 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract; 2 large eggs; 1 cup fresh cranberries; 1 cup chopped walnuts.

In a small saucepan, combine milk and oats. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and stir in the butter. Stir to mix in the butter once it melts. Cool slightly. Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups. Combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl mix eggs with the brown sugar and vanilla. Add the milk slowly to the egg mixture and stir to combine.  Add the cooked oatmeal/butter mixture to the egg mixture. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and mix just until evenly moistened. Add in the cranberries and walnuts and fold together just until evenly distributed. Divide the batter evenly amongst the muffin cups, sprinkling each muffin with oats. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the muffin comes out clean, 18-20 minutes. Cool and serve. Makes 12 medium or 8 large muffins.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Here is a book about cranberries you may want to look at:

  Cranberries: Recipes from Canada's Best Chefs by Elaine Elliot