Fresh Cranberry Orange Sauce and Fresh Cranberry Cherry Sauce

Love it or hate it, cranberry sauce is just as much a fixture on  the Thanksgiving table as the turkey itself. One year I made the mistake of not having the traditional canned stuff. There was an outcry from several of the devoted fans of jellied cranberry sauce. 

Lesson learned from that moment on you'll will always find jellied cranberry sauce on the table along side of my Cranberry Orange Sauce from scratch. 

Cook's Notes: A hint of nutmeg, lots of orange zest and a bit of vanilla all come together to make this yummy cranberry sauce. 

Ingredients: 

• 1-12 oz. bag of cranberries, rinsed
• 1/2 cup orange juice or freshly squeezed orange juice and 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar + 2 tablespoons
• 2 tablespoons orange zest
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• Optional add ins 1/2 cup golden raisins and 1/3 cup pecans

Directions:

• In a large saucepan on a medium high heat bring to a boil sugar, orange juice, water and zest. Whisk a few times. Add in cranberries, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, pinch of salt and raisins if adding in.
• Bring to a boil again, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium low and cook 10 to 15 minutes. Cranberries will burst and mixture will thicken. Sauce will thicken more as it cools. 
• Store cranberry sauce in a bowl covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator. Will keep up to two weeks. 

  Another great option to consider is Cranberry Cherry Sauce.

Cook's notes: A flavorful sauce the perfect side for turkey, chicken, pork or salmon. It can be made a few days in advance and kept refrigerated. Also a great basting sauce for grilled meats. Don't skip the wine part. For some inexplicable reason it really enhances the sauce flavor :)

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup cran-cherry juice
• 12 oz. cran-cherry juice
• 1 cup of water
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 large cinnamon sticks broken in half
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1-5 oz. package dried tart cherries
• 1-12 oz. bag fresh cranberries
• 1/4 cup dry red wine like a Merlot, Cabernet or Malbec

Directions: 

• Whisk 2 tablespoons cornstarch into 1/4 cup cran-cherry juice and set aside
• In a saucepan add 12 oz. cran-cherry juice, 1 cup of water, brown sugar, allspice, and cinnamon sticks.
• Bring mixture to boil over medium heat stirring until sugar is dissolved, add dried cherries and reserved cornstarch mixture. Cook 2 minutes until sauce slightly thickened.
• Add in cranberries and cook till berries pop about 7 minutes over medium heat.
• Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl, stir in wine.
• Cool and remove cinnamon sticks
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving.

A month long celebration meant to give recognition to the significant contribution the native peoples have made to the history, culture, and growth of the United States. One way to get into the spirit of things is by reading works by some of the greatest Native American authors from the past century. Some of their works will shed light on activism, culture, and history, some expose the challenges of living on reservations or establishing an identity in the modern world, and all are beautiful, well-written pieces of poetry, prose, and non-fiction that are excellent reads, regardless of the heritage of their authors.

Louise Erdrich

Louise Erdrich is an Ojibwe writer. She is the author of 14 novels as well as volumes of poetry, children's books, and a memoir of early motherhood. Her debut novel, "Love Medicine," won the National Book Critics Circle Award. "The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse" was a finalist for the National Book Award. Her novel, "The Plague of Doves," a New York Times bestseller, received the highest praise from Philip Roth, author who wrote, that Louise Erdrich's imaginative freedom has reached its zenith--it is her dazzling masterpiece.

Erdrich is widely acclaimed as one of the most significant writers of the second wave of the Native American Renaissance. Erdrich's "The Round House", was the well-deserving winner of the National Book Awards. " The Night Watchman" is her most recent novel. It is based on the extraordinary life of Erdrich’s grandfather who worked as a night watchman and carried the fight against Native dispossession from rural North Dakota all the way to Washington, D.C. 

Louise Erdrich lives in Minnesota with her daughters. She is the co-owner of Birchbark Books, a small independent bookstore with her sister, author Heide Erdrich. 

A link to Erdrich's books https://www.thriftbooks.com/a/louise-erdrich/198721/