The Vegetarian Guy

Cranberries have been part of the American diet for a long time. Early immigrants learned about them from the native, indigenous tribes in New England where they became synonymous with late Autumn and, of course, Thanksgiving.  While various health benefits have been touted for years, such as the cranberry’s unique ability to prevent UTI’s, only recently has the true super-food quality of the berry become evident.  The anti-oxidant properties of the cranberry surpass even the heralded pomegranate.

Often, we are uninspired when working with cranberries.  Thanksgiving dinners have been adorned with the same cranberry-orange relish or the compulsory cranberry jello mold for a hundred years, usually made with large doses of refined sugar to counteract the tartness.

While cooking at my restaurant, I was inspired by the local organic cranberries at the Royal Oak Farmers Market and used them in savory dishes to counter balance the sweet flavors of squash or corn.  In my cookbook, Vegetarian Traditions, there is a recipe for Quinoa-Corn Arepas with a Chocolate-Cherry Salsa.  Recently, I adapted the salsa recipe by replacing the cherries with cranberries, making a new and exciting cranberry dish for the Thanksgiving table.

Cranberry Chocolate Salsa

Makes 2 1/2 cups

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon garlic, finely minced

1/2 cup sweet onions, finely diced

2 1/2 cups fresh cranberries

1 1/2 teaspoons toasted and ground dried pasilla (ancho) chiles

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 1/2 ounces organic semi-sweet 70% chocolate

1/4 cup evaporated cane juice

1 1/4 teaspoons sea salt

1 cup water

In a 4 quart sauce pan on medium-high heat, cook the oil, garlic and onions until the onions become clear around the edges.  Add the cranberries and the rest of ingredients.  Turn the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.  Uncover, mash the cranberries and simmer for another 4 minutes.  Serve warm.

I’ve known Cousin Don Hobson since he began selling at the Royal Oak Farmers Market.  For the last 10 years Cousin Don, the founder of the Birmingham Farmers Market, has been the market master.  He invited me into his booth to sign, sell and discuss the book with shoppers.  The last Sunday of our tour, I rejoined him to pass out samples of Blue Water Farm organic strawberries with my organic vegan hot fudge sauce on top.  Needless to say, the chocolate added a bit of evxcited frenzy to the event.

The day began toasting a fresh batch of cardamom granola and starting a batch of 5 grain bread.  We walked our companion “Tea” through the neighborhoods of Mission Hills.  Spring flowers were in bloom and sweet scents wafted through the chilled morning air.  Winter in coastal San Diego often provides the advantage of blue skies accompanied by a kiss of morning coolness while the sun warms the skin.  The sensuality of this spawned meditations on the loving culinary tasks which lay ahead, and I am reminded that rites of spring originating from earthly cycles of regeneration have been celebrated since the beginning of time.  After returning home with our 13 year old German Shorthair friend, I took advantage of the clear day to plant some cactus and harvest herbs from the garden before returning to the kitchen to punch down the bread. 

Later, as the aroma of baking bread filled the house, a plan for dinner started to take shape.  Four of us were to dine this evening and small portions were appropriate to frame the dessert this Valentines Day.  The sweet course would be dark chocolate and maple mousse in tempered chocolate cups garnished with a chocolate heart and a thick raspberry sauce.  The preamble to this decadence was a fresh organic pea soup garnished with a mirapoix relish. 

The delicate flavors of the soup were followed with a dish of Latin corn blini,  red quinoa “caviar” and fire roasted poblano chile aioli. 

On the side, was a preparation of marinated baked tofu encrusted with almond, coconut, chile and lime over a papaya-ginger sauce.  The meal was influenced by flavors from around the world to honor love, a universal aspiration.  Needless to say,  the meal was a wonderful preamble to a great evening.