Cranberry Salsa

Photo from Cassy Joy Garcia's blog, Fed and Fit.

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I got a version of this recipe from my friend Martha Biggar of Kelley Family Farm, a vender at the Blacksburg Farmers' Market and adapted it for the Friendsgiving celebration for Glade Road Growing and Rising Silo Brewery in 2017.  It was so popular that I continued to make it for potlucks through New Year's Eve.

Ingredients

12 ounce bag of fresh cranberries, chopped
1/3 cup of demerara sugar
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons of fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of fresh green poblano pepper from Glade Road Growing while in season (they're hotter than those at the grocery store) or substitute 1 to 2 tablespoons of red Anaheim pepper flakes

Directions

As you chop the cranberries, layer in a dish with a sprinkling of the sugar.  Stir in the other chopped ingredients, cover and refrigerate until serving.

Red Cabbage and Apple Slaw with Cilantro and Lime

Caroline is going out of town this week, so I'm using this photo by Kathryne Taylor of Cookie and Kate. While Taylor's recipe is savory and uses radishes, my is sweet and savory, using candied pecans and dried cranberries.

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The August 12 farm share for Glade Road Growing is slated to include heirloom tomatoes, red cabbage, garlic, summer squash, and jalapeno peppers. I love the combination of red cabbage and apples, whether braised, pickled or fresh in a salad.  Here's my recipe for a slaw without the usual mayonnaise.

Serves 6


1. Wash cabbage and remove outer leaves.  Thinly slice a half a large red cabbage or a whole small one.
2.  Wash and drain cilantro and pull the leaves off the stems.  You will use 1/2 to 1 cup for this recipe and can keep the rest for another recipe by storing the leaves in a covered invited mason jar at the front of your fridge.
3.  Juice two limes (4 TB)
4.  To make dressing combine lime juice with 1/2 tsp sea salt and 1 tsp honey, agave or maple syrup
5.  Thinly slice 2 granny smith apples and toss in dressing to keep from turning brown.
6.  In a large bowl, combine the apples and dressing with the cabbage.  Refrigerate until serving time.
7.  Toss with cilantro.  Garnish with spiced pecans and dried cranberries.

I've included a simple recipe recipe for the pecans which won't require you to turn on your oven.  And if you don't have time to make your own and don't want to buy this pricey topping, raw walnuts or pecans are also delish.  You can make this a main course by tossing in 3 cups of cooked white beans or chicken.

Spiced Candied Pecans

Preheat a dry skillet that's been lightly coated with extra virgin olive oil over a medium-high heat. Add 2 cups of raw pecans halves, 1/3 cup of maple syrup and 1/8 tsp sea salt. 1/4 tsp ground cumin, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring frequently, until syrup is caramelized and nuts are toasted, about 3 minutes. Set out separately on a cookie sheet or plate lined with aluminum foil to cool for about 10 minutes. You can store any extra in a jar with a tight lid.