Christmas Cranberry Relish

This recipe was originally posted on December 19, 2013 on our old blog.  I am sharing it this week in case you would like to include it in your Christmas dinner.  Also, I am quarantining (COVID-style). “No cooking for me–2 weeks!”–well, 10 days, but Seinfeld fans can appreciate the Soup Nazi reference, right?  This is also posted in memory of my good friend Phyllis Mecham who passed away several years ago.  This was her recipe.

Just in the St. Nick of time (and notice, by the way, how he is eyeballing the relish)! Be sure and add this to your Christmas menu.  My good friend Phyllis brought this dish to a church Christmas party one year and gave me the recipe so that I could add it to our holiday meal traditions.  It is a big hit with everyone and full of yummy goodness—fresh cranberries, oranges, apples, pecans, pineapple.  Oh my!

I am normally a purist when it comes to my cranberry sauce.  Just give me the canned, jellied stuff that you slice or chunk and I am happy.  But this Cranberry Relish has made me a believer in mixing it up once in a while.

Another tasty side that you might want to try is Copper Pennies. I have had requests to serve these with our Christmas Eve beef brisket–yeah, our Christmas Eve dinner has been through a few revisions over the years.  For several years we were having homemade Chile Rellenos and all the trimmings, but I offered to do something easier and less time-consuming (for me) because I was spending way too much time in the kitchen on that day.  So we changed to a beef brisket with our favorite Claude’s Sauce marinade, and a few make-ahead sides.  It’s much easier.  And we try to do the rellenos in March for a birthday dinner.  Although, this year will be a challenge.  Have you noticed how scarce Anaheim chilies are in the stores?  Apparently, the growers in Hatch, New Mexico have had a time this year with their crops.  You can barely find diced green chilies in the can!