Gingered Cranberry and Kumquat Relish

 

If you think that you're ready for Thanksgiving, I suggest you think again. I don't believe that there was one year that I didn't miss something. One year it was gravy (the GRAVY!!), another it was sweet potatoes (that, thankfully I could freeze for Christmas Eve), still another it was the leaf-shaped pumpkin muffins that I labored over (and we enjoyed for breakfast the following day, well, week, if you must know).  It became almost a tradition for me to fail to put out the cranberries. So much so that, one year, I'd prepared little labeled jars of cranberry sauce to send home with guests for use the next day on turkey sandwiches. Another year, as a way to remind myself, I made three varieties, convinced that at least one would make it to the table.

This year, even if I forget (I will NOT!), it is no problem; because this recipe is not only easy, but takes no time to make, requires no cooking, and the food processor does most of the work.  I've adapted it from the original that appeared in the November 2001 issue of Bon Appetit. You'll have to stop yourself from eating the entire bowl.

This relish is welcomed equally at Thanksgiving and Christmas (it is an excellent accompaniment to the Christmas ham).  To serve, just swap out the autumn greenery for a few evergreen sprigs.  Voila!

Gingered Cranberry and Kumquat Relish

1 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries
16 kumquats, stemmed, rinsed, patted dry
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup Melissa's crystallized ginger

Using on/off turns, coarsely chop cranberries in processor. Coarsely chop half of kumquats, removing any seeds in the doing. Thinly slice remaining kumquats, removing any seeds, and set aside.  Toss the chopped kumquats into the food processor with the cranberries and pulse twice.  Coarsely chop the ginger, and toss it into the food processor; pulse twice. Pour contents of food processor into a medium bowl.  Sprinkle sugar over the top of the mixture, and stir to incorporate (as mixture sits, sugar will dissolve). Cover relish and refrigerate at least 4 hours. (Cranberry relish can be prepared 1 week ahead. Cover tightly and keep refrigerated.)

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Rhubarb Ginger Jam

 Whether we realize it or not, food connects us to significant events in our lives, dating back to our very beginnings. I still remember the chocolate-covered graham crackers that I would dip into milk as reward for eating all of my vegetables at dinner. The chocolate was waxy and the crackers insipid, but, oh what a treat for this vegetable-eating eight-year-old. When I reached double digits, cream of tomato soup and grilled cheese was my go-to comfort food.  I shudder now when I think of the boxes of Velveeta that I consumed in the going.  I sought solace in casseroles during the seventies, and got my first taste of ethnic food in the eighties (introduced to exotic cuisines by Mr. O-P whom I didn't marry until twenty years hence). What we consume changes us. It educates our palates, expands our horizons, and leaves us with the enthusiasm for more. 

If you've lasted this long, you're probably wondering what all of this is leading up to. One word: rhubarb. As a kid rhubarb scared me. It looked like celery. Big. Weird. Red. Celery. My grandmother tended to cook it a lot. It was not pretty. Stringy and, frankly, frightening, I tried it when I was six, and never ate it again.  So, ever interested in expanding my horizons in my continuing effort to stave off Alzheimer's, I thought that it was probably time to try it again. 

Well, I'm a convert. This simple, easy-to-make Rhubarb Ginger Jam, a compilation of four unique recipes, has me convinced. Rhubarb. Is. Yummy. All I can think of now, as I eat it straight from the jar saving the biscuits for later is, why didn't I try this years ago?

I wish I could share it with my mom.

Rhubarb Ginger Jam

2 pounds fresh rhubarb, cleaned, sliced into 3/4" chunks
2 ounces candied ginger, finely chopped
1 heaping cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon fresh orange peel

Combine all ingredients in heavy medium saucepan. Stir constantly over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Continue stirring as you bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until jam thickens and mounds on spoon, stirring often to prevent scorching, about 25-40 minutes. Transfer to jars. Cover and keep chilled, or can and process.

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How to Make Candied Ginger

If you’ve never had the experience of tasting candied ginger then you are in for a real treat.  It is both cool and hot at the same time -- cool initially, and then the spicy heat kicks in.  The flavor is exotically intense, and it is quite an eye-opener if you happen to be having a rather sluggish day.  

Ginger has many health benefits.  Widely known to be effective against nausea (I can personally attest to this), it is also said to prevent colds, flu, heartburn, and migraine, and recent studies show that it not only slows the growth of colon cancer, but may be a powerful weapon in the treatment of ovarian cancer, at least according to a study conducted at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, where it was found that ginger powder induces cell death in all ovarian cancer cells to which it was applied!  

So, stock up on FRESH, juicy ginger (I recommend  Melissa's ginger), slice it into coins and boil them for a delicious tea, and then candy a bunch to munch on when you want a zingy sweet snack that is actually quite good for you.

The process isn't all that different from candying orange and lemon peel.  Here it is, step-by-step, with a nod to Alton Brown:

Choose a fresh, good quality ginger.

Peel the ginger root.

Slice into 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick slices using a mandoline.

Place into a 4-quart saucepan with water (1 pound of ginger to 5 cups of water), and set over medium-high heat. Cover and cook for 35 minutes or until the ginger is tender.

Transfer the ginger to a colander to drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Weigh the ginger and measure out an equal amount of sugar.

Return the ginger and 1/4 cup water to the pan and add the sugar. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to medium/low and cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar syrup looks dry, has almost evaporated, and begins to re-crystallize, approximately 17-20 minutes. 

Transfer the ginger immediately to a wire cooling rack that has been sprayed with Pam and underlined with parchment or waxed paper. Spread out and separate the pieces as well as you can and cool completely.

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