Presidential Salsa...

We all know the story of George W and his trusty little hatchet cutting down the cherry tree from our childhood. But did you know cherries can be used for more than just filling pies. This sweet and zesty salsa can be a condiment for your favorite chicken, seafood, pork entrées or you can try it as a dip with whole-grain crackers. I came across this recipe many years ago and usually pull it out of my recipe collection around President’s Day weekend ~ thus the name. Saturday night I decided to use it as a condiment and ladled it over some grilled tilapia fillets.

Believe me when I say this simple salsa is a keeper. What is great is you can embellish upon it and make it as hot & spicy as you want. The sweetness of the cherries helps to balance whatever fire you want to add. So, if you like your politics filled with passion and excitement ~ old George W the first and Abe will understand.



Presidential Salsa

Ingredients:
1 cup dark sweet cherries, frozen or fresh and pitted
2 tablespoons basil, chopped
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
⅛ teaspoon Tabasco sauce, or to taste
Salt, to taste

Chop the cherries into course pieces and combine them with the remaining ingredients. Refrigerate the salsa for at least 1 hour. Use this like any other salsa: with crackers, in burritos, as a condiment with chicken, fish or pork.

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George’s notes:

• The story goes that when Mr. Washington saw his beloved cherry chopped down he asked his son George if he know how it happened. "I can't tell a lie, Pa. You know I can't tell a lie. I did cut it with my hatchet," replied George. From all historical evidence, the story is not true. The story was the work of a writer named Mason Locke Weems in his book for young readers called The Life and Memorable Actions of George Washington published in 1800 a year after George's death.
• According to the federal government, the holiday observed on the third Monday in February is officially Washington's Birthday. But many Americans believe that this holiday is now called "Presidents' Day," in honor of both President Washington and Lincoln, whose birthdays are Feb. 22 and Feb. 12, respectively. It turns out that whether you honor one or the other or both of these presidents may depend on where you live.
• Cherries are loaded with anthocyanin, a phytochemical that accounts for their deep red color and helps prevent chronic disease. They are also a significant source of dietary fiber and potassium.

Cranberry Sauce & more...

It really doesn't matter if you're in the hills of Alabama, the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado or near the bay at Plymouth Rock; it isn't Thanksgiving without cranberry sauce. If you've never made cranberry sauce from scratch, you're missing out on one of the simplest ways to add something special to your Thanksgiving dinner.

When I was growing up in Georgia in the early sixties, fresh cranberries were largely unknown. Cranberries are grown in New England ~ or places that have regular rainfall, a high water table, and four distinct seasons that can be relied upon; conditions that just don't always exist in Georgia.

You couldn’t find fresh cranberries in the supermarket produce section back then, either. Perishable fruits and vegetables were not so widely distributed then, as they are now. But, we always had our cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving, thanks to Ocean Spray.

One of the earliest Thanksgiving dinner tasks assigned to me by my mother was to open a few cans of jellied cranberry sauce, slice it, and put it on the table. I loved that job! I'd put a hole in one end of the can with the can opener and open the other end. The ‘sauce’ would slowly slide out in a crimson column, making that lovely vacuum sound. To this day, I still like canned cranberry sauce, but now that we can all buy cranberries that only days before were floating in a cranberry bog, we can be more creative and enjoy the tangy freshness and texture of fresh cranberries.

So, if you have been searching for cranberry ideas for this year's holiday meal, perhaps some of the recipes here will send you packing to the produce section. There you will find all the fresh cranberries you need, all neatly done up in plastic bags. ~ Just remember that it wasn't always that easy, back in Georgia in the early sixties.

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This recipe marries tangy cranberries with the flavors of orange, ginger, and cinnamon.

Mom's Orange-Cranberry Relish

Ingredients:
1 pound fresh cranberries
3 tablespoons dried cranberries
2 sticks cinnamon
1 teaspoon fresh gingerroot, minced
½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
½ cup apple cider
1 teaspoon fresh grated orange zest

In a 2-quart saucepan, place the fresh and dried cranberries, cinnamon, gingerroot, brown sugar, cider, and orange zest. Stir and simmer over low heat until cranberries pop - about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

To serve, transfer to a serving bowl.

Makes 2 to 3 cups

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The next recipe is a delicious chutney. You may find yourself eating it directly from the refrigerator, if you're lucky enough to have any left over.

Caroline's Cranberry Chutney

Ingredients:
6 cups fresh cranberries
1 ½ cups raisins
½ cup water
¾ cup cider vinegar
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger root
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup apple juice concentrate
2 cups sugar

1 cup sweet onions, chopped
¾ cup celery, sliced
2 cups tart apples, peeled and chopped

In a heavy Dutch oven, combine the cranberries, raisins and water. Cook over medium-high heat until berries pop. Add vinegar, allspice, cloves cinnamon, ginger root, cayenne, apple juice and sugar; cook for 10 minutes, stirring often.

Stir in the onion, celery and apples. Bring to boil, reduce to medium heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Let chutney cool and thicken before serving.

Makes 5 to 6 cups

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The traditional Thanksgiving meal demands at least one kind of pie for dessert, at least for my family. It's usually brought by a popular aunt, family friend or in-law.

Aunt Esther's Cranberry Pie

Ingredients:
3 cups fresh cranberries, washed and sorted
1 cup raisins (golden raisins make a prettier filling)
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup Water
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ cup orange juice
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter
Pastry for double-crust 9-inch pie

Preheat oven to 450 degree F.
In a large, heavy saucepan, combine all ingredients except for vanilla and butter, and bring to a boil. Lower heat to low-to-medium and, stirring frequently, gently boil the mixture for 10 to 15 minutes, until it thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

Pour filling into an unbaked, pastry-lined 9-inch pie shell, and dot with butter.

Make a lattice top with the remaining pastry dough, and crimp edges.

Bake at 450 degrees F for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake 35 minutes more or until golden brown.

Serves 6

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George’s notes:
* Did you know that at the end of the Beatles song “Strawberry Fields Forever” from the Magical Mystery Tour album, John Lennon mutters “cranberry sauce.” There was no intended meaning to this; it was just supposed to add to the surreal feeling of the song.
* Cranberries are one of the few fruits native to North America and ripen from September through November, lending them well to holiday recipes.
* If you are in the mood for a more traditional pie, check out my post for Cranberry-Apple Pie.