Fall is Cranberry Time!

Hooray, it’s fall, my very favorite season of the year
(though you can’t tell from this week’s hot weather in the Pajaro Valley). Time
to bring out the scarecrows, the pumpkins and the garlands of autumn leaves.  It’s also time to start cooking my favorite
fall recipes using seasonal ingredients from my garden and from the local area.
When I think of fall, I think of pumpkins, pomegranates, cranberries, wonderful
root vegetables, fresh greens, and also  the herbs, Swiss chard and broccoli that I
currently have growing in my garden.

Today my focus is on cranberries. This is around the time we
should start seeing bags of fresh cranberries in the market. One of the great
things about cranberries is that they freeze so well. When  fresh cranberries become available, we stock
up on them and freeze them so we have them available throughout the year. My
wife makes an unbelievable cranberry bread that we enjoy all year round, and
her homemade cranberry relish is to die for. Cranberries are very healthy, versatile
and are delicious in a number of both sweet and  savory dishes.

This past weekend I prepared my first fall dinner of the
season for a group of friends. The main course was a recipe called Chicken With
Cranberries. The original recipe called for a can of whole sweetened
cranberries, however I prefer to use my wife’s homemade cranberry relish
recipe. The canned stuff is OK, but cannot stand up to the real thing made from
scratch, and the recipe is really easy to make. I accompanied the chicken dish
with two sides: a healthy version of a dish I call Collard Greens With Potatoes;
and a simple Butternut Squash Mash. These flavors harmonize together very
nicely and definitely get me into the fall spirit. The recipes are all listed
below, and I will also throw in my wife’s recipe for Cranberry Bread, which is
just heaven in a loaf pan.

I recommend pairing this meal with a nice Pinot Noir like
the delicious variety of Pinot Noirs made by Windy Oaks Estate Winery at 550
Hazel Dell Road in Corralitos. They are open on Saturdays from 12 noon to 5
P.M., and are definitely worth a visit. Check out their website:

http://www.windyoaksestate.com/

Aunt Cathy’s
Unbelievable Cranberry Relish

1 package (12 oz.) fresh (or fresh frozen) cranberries 

1 cup sugar

1 cup cranberry, pomegranate or orange juice (whatever is
your taste)

½ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. allspice

1 cup chopped toasted walnuts

Freshly grated zest of 1 orange

Lightly toast the walnuts in a hot frying pan, being careful
not to burn them, and set aside. Combine all other  ingredients in a saucepan except the walnuts.
Bring to a boil and cook just until the cranberries begin to burst. Take off
heat and cool. Add walnuts and stir well. Chill, serve cold.

Chicken With Cranberries

(Adapted from a recipe by Jeff Smith)

1 chicken, 3 to 4 pounds

1 cup flour

Salt and pepper to taste

Cayenne pepper to taste

1 cup peanut oil for frying

16 oz. of Aunt Cathy’s Unbelievable Cranberry Relish (or 16
oz. can whole sweetened cranberries)

¼ cup finely chopped onion

¾ cup orange juice

¼ tsp. each ground cinnamon and ground ginger

Cut up chicken (and remove skin if you wish) and pat dry
with paper towels. Mix the flour with the salt and both peppers, and dredge
each piece of chicken. In a large heavy pot or cast iron Dutch oven, fry
chicken in the peanut oil just until browned, turning once. Drain oil from pot
and return the chicken pieces to the pot.

In the meantime, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all
remaining ingredients in a stainless steel saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour
this over the chicken and place the cover on the pot or Dutch oven. Place in
350 degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes until chicken is fully cooked. Serves 3 to
4 people.

Collard Greens
With Potatoes

1 large bunch of collard greens (about 1 pound)

3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼ inch dice

1 TBSP. olive oil

½ cup water

1 bag or about ½ pound baby spinach leaves

2 TBSP. cider vinegar

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Pinch of cayenne

1 TBSP.  butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped

Wash collard greens and cut off thick portions of the
midribs. Chop them coarsely and combine them with the potato dice in a large,
heavy pot or Dutch oven,  along with the olive oil and water. Cook over low heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes and greens are tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Make sure there is enough water to keep everything moist, but not soupy.  Add the spinach, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and cayenne. Cover and steam until the spinach is wilted.

In a small skillet, heat the butter until it foams. Add the
onion and sauté until it is lightly browned. Stir into the potatoes and greens.
Serve at once. Serves 4 to 6 people.

Butternut Squash
Mash

 1 butternut squash

½ stick of butter

A few pinches of cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the butternut squash in half
longwise and scoop out the seeds. Place both halves skin side up on an oiled
baking sheet. Bake the squash halves for about an hour, until the flesh is soft
and the skin is slightly browned. When it is cool enough to be handled, scoop
out the flesh of the squash and discard the skin. In a bowl, use a potato
masher to mash the squash well (a few small lumps are OK). Melt the half stick
of butter and pour it into the mashed squash, along with a pinch or two or
three of cinnamon, to taste. Mix well and serve. Can be made ahead of time and
just re-warmed in the microwave.

Aunt Cathy’s
Cranberry Bread

4 cups flour

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

½ cup room temperature butter

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs, beaten

2-3 TBSP. freshly grated orange zest

1½ cups orange juice

1 bag fresh or fresh frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped

1 cup coarsely chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans
(optional)

In a large bowl whisk together first four dry ingredients.
In the bowl of a stand mixer (or other large bowl) cream butter, sugar and
eggs. Add freshly grated orange zest. Begin adding dry ingredients alternating
with the orange juice. When incorporated, mix in the cranberries and nuts.

Pour into 2 greased loaf pans (non-stick works well). Bake
at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool
or eat warm. Makes 2 loaves.