Wednesday, November 6, 2013

ABC: Apple/Apricot, Beet, Cranberry Sauce--Quick Take

ABC: Apple/Apricot, Beet, Cranberry Sauce--Quick Take

A colorful side dish of cranberries with roasted beets and dried apricots simmered in a sweetened apple cider/orange juice broth. A delicious addition to holiday meals and a terrific way to use farm share beets that gets the whole family to dig in.

A colorful side dish of cranberries with roasted beets and dried apricots simmered in a sweetened apple cider/orange juice broth. A delicious addition to holiday meals and a terrific way to use farm share beets that gets the whole family to dig in.
New photos for 2015, same tasty recipe!


I'll freely admit I'm a fan of the can.  Not the jellied cranberry sauce (though I'm sure it has its uses).  I have no issue, however, with canned whole berry cranberry sauce.  It's fine. Want a recipe for a doctored up can of cranberry sauce? Here's my Semi-homemade Cranberry Pineapple Pecan Salad.



A colorful side dish of cranberries with roasted beets and dried apricots simmered in a sweetened apple cider/orange juice broth. A delicious addition to holiday meals and a terrific way to use farm share beets that gets the whole family to dig in.


I also love cranberry-orange relish, and cranberry-apple sauce.  Whole Foods made a cranberry-beet-apricot dish on their salad bar years ago that my mom re-created.  I decided to combine all of those into this side. It's sweet but not too sweet, tangy but not too out there.  And the color is freakishly vibrant.


A colorful side dish of cranberries with roasted beets and dried apricots simmered in a sweetened apple cider/orange juice broth. A delicious addition to holiday meals and a terrific way to use farm share beets that gets the whole family to dig in.


For more recipes using apples or apple cider, please see my Apples/Apple Cider Recipes Collection. For more recipes using beets, please see my Beet Recipes Collection. For more recipes using cranberries, please see my Cranberry Recipe Collection. This is the only recipe in the Apricot Recipe Collection so don't bother clicking over there. These collections are part of the Visual Recipe Index by Ingredient, a resource for folks like me eating locally and seasonally from the farm share, the farmer's market, and seasonal abundance. I've got even more recipe ideas on my Pinterest boards, follow me there to see them. I'm also sharing new recipes on my FB page so check that out as well. Want to know how to use this blog?

Notes for 2015: Instead of thawing some roasted/frozen beets, I shredded a raw beet into the pan with the cranberries, juices, and sugar. The grated beets cooked while the cranberries did, and the whole thing smelled lovely. I didn't have any apricots but I did have dried pineapple, so I've amended the recipe below.


Apple/Apricot, Beet, Cranberry Sauce | Farm Fresh Feasts


Apple/Apricot, Beet, and Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients


  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar (loosely packed)
  • 12 oz (1 bag) fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 1/2 cup diced dried apricots or dried pineapple bits
  • 1 cup diced roasted beets (or shredded raw beets)
  • 1 teaspoon minced ginger

Instructions


  1. Preheat a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add liquids, sugar, and cranberries.
  2. If using raw beets, add them along with the cranberries. If using roasted beets, add them along with the apricots.  
  3. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat.  
  4. Mash with a potato masher to break up the popped cranberries.  
  5. Stir in apricots, beets, and ginger.  Chill for at least an hour to let the flavors blend.  
  6. Keeps for several days.  Great on sandwiches if you don't have any Cranberry Salsa.


A colorful side dish of cranberries with roasted beets and dried apricots simmered in a sweetened apple cider/orange juice broth. A delicious addition to holiday meals and a terrific way to use farm share beets that gets the whole family to dig in.



This side dish is shared with What's Cookin' Wednesday, the Wednesday Fresh Foods Link Up, From the Farm Blog Hop, Clever Chicks Blog HopTasty Tuesdays.

Apple/Apricot, Beet, Cranberry Sauce | Farm Fresh Feasts

8 comments:

  1. I love your idea to put beets in the cranberry sauce! Such a beautiful color. My mom would go nuts for this sauce, I'll have to send her the link. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Julie,
      I've found with beets you really can't hide them due to their amazing color, so you might as well embrace the color and enjoy them.
      Thanks!

      Delete
  2. You had me at freakishly vibrant. I also couldn't stop singing the Jackson Five's ABC, Easy as 123, Simple as Do Re Me, ABC, 123, you and me girl.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Meghan,
      And I can't stop singing What the Fox Says.
      Ah well, singing makes us feel empowered and good, according to Chris Martin, even if it's an ear worm.
      Thanks!

      Delete
  3. The color is amazing. I would never think to add beets to my cranberry sauce. I love the suggestion to use it in sandwiches. My husband is slightly condiment obsessed, so I'm always looking for new ideas.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sherri,
      If you husband is condiment obsessed, what do your fridge doors look like?
      I have so many at times I need to focus on using condiments to clear them out.
      Thanks!

      Delete
  4. This one really intrigues me... although I may have to make it and serve it without telling anyone that there are beets inside... hehe. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Beth,
      If I'm serving a smoothie with blueberries in it, my kids ask if it contains beets. They know me well. I operate under the DADT policy--if they don't ask, I don't volunteer the info. However they know to ask, so I tell them the truth. And often they like it anyway!
      Thanks!

      Delete