Willa Cather and Cran-Apple Wild Rice Dish with Toasted Pecans

Willa Sibert Cather (December 7, 1873– April 24, 1947)

Willa Cather was an American author who achieved recognition for her novels of frontier life on the Great Plains. Cathers held high regard for the immigrant families whose lives endured many hardships and challenges settling on the Nebraska plains.  Cather's personal experiences also shaped a good deal of her fiction.

Her notable works included "O, Pioneers!(1913), "The Song of the Lark"(1915), and "My Antonia" (1918). In 1923 she was awarded the Pultizer Prize for "One of Ours" (1922), a novel set during World War I. "Death Comes for the Archbishop" (1927 ) was another novel that won much acclaim. It concerns the attempts of a Catholic bishop and a priest to establish a diocese in New Mexico Territory. This novel was included in Life Magazine's list of the 100 outstanding books of 1924-1944.

Cook's notes: A festive sweet and savory side dish Cran-Apple Wild Rice celebrates Willa Cather's special day. The recipe serves 6-8 and is adapted from Taste of Home. This dish goes great with a variety of meats and poultry.  

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 2 cups diced apples
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 box of chicken and wild rice or long grain and wild rice
• 3/4 cup diced onions
• 2 tsp. brown sugar
• 1 TB. butter
• 1/2 tsp. Saigon cinnamon or 1 tsp. cinnamon
• optional 3/4 cup diced pecans
• 1 TB. orange zest

Directions:

• In a microwave safe dish place cranberries and orange juice. Cover and cook on high for 2 minutes. Set aside.
• Prepare rice according to box directions.
• In a large skillet saute onions, cinnamon and brown sugar for 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low and stir in diced apples and pecans. Saute for no more than 4 minutes as apples should be al dente not mushy.
• Drain cranberries, press with a spoon to extract juice.
• In a bowl add rice, cranberries, onion mixture, orange zest and toasted pecans.  

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