Let It Linger
Cranberries last for a few weeks to a month if placed in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed zip-close bag with all the air removed.
Roasted banana and butternut squash cardamom soup with cranberry compote
"The cranberries add a sour acidity to a sweet soup, which wake up the taste buds. This is a Latin-inspired recipe with a good balance of flavors that sum up the holidays."— Dante Boccuzzi, chef and owner of Dante
To make the compote, add to a saucepan 12 ounces fresh cranberries, 1 cup dried cranberries, 1 3/4 cups sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 tablespoon orange zest, 1/4 cup orange juice, 2 tablespoons orange liqueur, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 teaspoon vanilla extractand 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg. Stir over medium-high heat until cranberry skin starts to split. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir until thick. Remove pan from heat and cool. Peel and chop 1 white onion, 1 stalk celery, 1 large carrot and 1 garlic clove. Sweat those ingredients with 3 tablespoons butter in a stockpot for 5 minutes. Peel, seed and chop 2 butternut squash and 2 Granny Smith apples. Add to pot. Barely cover with water. Season with salt and freshly ground white pepper. Simmer until tender. Add 1/4 cup molasses, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon each of nutmeg and allspice, 1 teaspoon ground cardamom and 2 peeled and sliced bananas. Bring to a boil. Puree mixture in blender until smooth. Garnish with cranberry compote, pumpkin seed oil and toasted pumpkin seeds.
Smoked pork tenderloin with cranberry olive tapenade
"You have this unctuous meatiness of the pork combined with three different zones of flavor — smoke, salty from the olives and the sweetness of the cranberries. You get the full umami."— Matthew Mathlage, chef and owner of Peachtree Southern Kitchen and Cocktails
Place 1/2 pound fresh cranberries in a quart-size Mason jar. Simmer the brine from 1 jar of mixed pitted olives, and pour heated brine over the cranberries. Top with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cure for 24 hours to 2 weeks. Then add the olive-cured cranberries, 1/2 pound mixed pitted olives, 2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapenos, 1/4 cup chopped green onions, 1 minced garlic clove and 2 tablespoons maple syrup to a food processor. Pulse until ingredients reach a chunky paste. Coat a 2 1/2-pound pork tenderloin with 3 tablespoons honey, 1/2 cup apple juice and 1/2 cup dry pork rub. Marinade 24 hours. Place a tray of wood chips onto a smoker or grill. Heat to 225 degrees. Once chips are smoldering, add pork. Smoke for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 150 degrees. Remove tenderloin from smoker or grill and let it rest for 5 minutes. Drape with cranberry olive tapenade.
Cranberry and apple preserves
"Pair this dish with soft cheeses like goat, Brie and Camembert on a cheese board. Or go with charcuterie and serve alongside chicken liver mousse, foie gras and pork rillettes. The tart flavor and jamlike consistency cut through the fat." — Rebecca Hess, chef de cuisine at Urban Farmer
Wrap 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns and one cinnamon stick tightly in cheesecloth. Secure sachet with kitchen twine. Peel, core and dice 8 cups Idared or GoldRush applesinto medium-size chunks. Combine apples, 4 cups fresh cranberries, 5 cups dark brown sugar, spice sachet, 1 cup water, 1 cup red wine and 1/2 cup red wine vinegar in large pot. Bring fruit to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer 20 to 40 minutes. Stir frequently. Scrape the bottom of the pot to avoid scorching. Cook until preserves thicken. Add up to1/2 cup more red wine vinegar if desired. Use fresh within one week.
"Cranberries and scotch share origins. Cranberries grow in bogs, which are rich in acidic peat. Distilleries in Scotland use peat bogs in their scotch production. This is a great natural pairing. The result is a tart and smoky holiday drink." — Michael Nowak, executive chef and owner of the Black Pig
