A Quickie but a Goodie

Spare time before a Holiday is dangerous – at least for me. Having made or prepped and wrapped everything AHEAD OF TIME (a first!) left me wanting to do just one thing more… Wanting something a little sweet and tart to contrast the heavier, richer fare, cranberries seemed the perfect seasonal choice. I found this recipe for Cranberry Salsa - how perfect! Just a slight problem – I didn’t have some of the ingredients. That’s never stopped me before, so I used onion instead of scallions, bell pepper instead of cilantro/parsley (still adds the freshness, though a slightly different flavor), and I was short about a cup of fresh cranberries – craisins to the rescue! I pulsed all those ingredients together, then added the sugar, ginger, lemon juice, jalapeno… The recipe is right about not tasting it too soon – WAY too spicy and tart… Let it rest four hours (or overnight) and it mellows beautifully.You still get that slight kick of heat, but served with cream cheese and buttery crackers, I think this will become a keeper!