cranberries, cranberries, cranberries…

I love cranberries. I grew up in the town where the commercial cranberry business was born – even now I live about a mile from the first commercial bog. Growing up, I remember sorting the berries by hand and bouncing them to make sure they were good. I can’t recall a time when there wasn’t a bag in our freezer. Cranberry bread and cranberry orange relish have always been holiday staples…I think I was in kindergarten when I made the relish for the first time. So, needless to say, I was thrilled to learn that cranberries are considered a super food

What is a super food?

cranberry harvest

Superfood is a term sometimes used to describe food high in nutrients and phytonutrients (naturally occurring chemical compounds like beta-carotene – that are considered beneficial).  Essentially they’re foods that pack a lot of power for their calories. You can learn more about superfoods in the Ask Chef Sara section and in ingredients. You can also check out The Worlds Heathiest Foods site or this Web MD article for more specifics about cranberries

In addition to being high in antioxidants, cranberries have amazing anti- bacterial and anti-adhesion properties. They may protect against heart disease, cancer and other diseases.  The anti-adhesion properties of cranberries may actually inhibit the bacteria associated with gum disease, stomach ulcers and other bacterial infections.  I just read about a study at UMass-Dartmouth that discovered new compounds in cranberries that are toxic to a whole range of cancer cells. Plus, one-half cup of fresh cranberries contains 11% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin C and 1.6 grams of fiber for only 23 calories…23 calories!

Fresh or dried, I love cranberries, I’ll use them on pizza or salads and I use dried cranberries in place of raisins in most baking. Cranberries are one of the few fruits I like to use in savory food – I use the juice to marinate, stew or braise beef, and I like a really good sauce, relish or the whole berries with pork, poultry and scallops…especially scallops, the bright tartness of the berries is a perfect complement to rich, creamy scallops.

This is a very easy and versatile method for cooking any fragile seafood. I like to use an electric pan – it controls the temperature and helps protect against overcooking.

Heavy cream (or any combination of cream and milk) – enough to fill the pan to twice the depth of the scallops,

Fresh tarragon – to taste

Orange zest – to taste

Salt – to taste

Scallops

Cranberry chutney or relish

Gently heat cream in skillet or wide saucepan. Cook cream until reduced by about half. Add tarragon, orange zest and salt. Taste and adjust. Reduce heat and add the scallops. Cook over low heat until opaque. Serve with cranberry relish. You can use the leftover cream as a sauce or save it for a delicious chowder base.

This cranberry relish is very much like the traditional holiday relish I learned to make in kindergarten…except that I add fruit and zest from the orange and discard the bulk of the peel – I think the peel is just too bitter and it can overwhelm the bright tartness of the cranberries. I also use a little less allspice to make it more versatile for year-round use. When I make it for the holidays I double the allspice.

2 oranges – fruit and zest only

2  pounds cranberries (thawed if frozen)

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

2/3 to 1 cup sugar

Zest orange and cut remaining peel and white pith from oranges and cut segments free from membranes. Coarsely chop, discarding any seeds.

Pulse fruit with allspice and 1/2 cup sugar in batches in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and stir in sugar to taste.

Make 1 – 3 days ahead for best flavor. Keeps well and freezes fine.