I have a strong preference for canned cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving and it is my personal tradition to hassle my mother until she agrees to have can at dinner for me.  I know that it’s probably made from gelatin and corn syrup and artificial flavors, but I love how it tastes with turkey.  Anyway, this post is not about canned cranberry sauce but a less indulgent cranberry relish, made with an incredibly simple three ingredients.  I have eaten Thanksgiving dinner at my mother’s house almost every year of my life.  This is the cranberry relish she traditionally makes and I have to say, after making it myself with the canned version no where in sight, I have a new appreciation for it.

Here’s the incredibly complex recipe:  In a food processor, blend together a package of cranberries (12 ounces), with the zest and seeded pulp of one orange, along with a half cup of sugar.  I blended mine until it was pureed pretty thoroughly.  I recommend thoroughly rinsing the cranberries, especially if you buy a bag of non-organic, and be sure to pick out any rotten ones.

We ate our cranberry relish this week with roasted chicken and vegetables.  The combination of sweet and tart with the robust flavors of a roasted dinner was lovely.  In fact, I feel sorry for anyone who has to eat a Thanksgiving meal without a sharp, contrasting element like this.