Recipe corner!
This one's made the rounds.
Hi there,
How are you? Today, I’m feeling very excited because, as promised, we’re continuing with our little holiday appetizer series this week. And this one’s near and dear to my heart—it’s made an appearance on my family’s holiday coffee table (where we serve our apps, duh!) every year for over a decade.
It’s also a recipe that’s been with my family and my family’s extended network of close friends for far longer than that—like most of the very best recipes out there, one cannot be sure of this appetizer’s exact origins, but I do know that my mom formally passed it down to me in a sweet little recipe binder full of family favorite recipes she gifted to me a few years before I started culinary school. And because she hand-wrote many of the recipes in the book on old school recipe cards and indicated some recipe origins if she knew them (bring back old school recipe cards!) I also know that this dip made its way to her via a very close family friend, Jenna Anthony.
Before that, I’m not sure! It could be something Mrs. Anthony clipped out of a magazine. Or perhaps anther friend passed it along to her. It could also be an old family recipe? Regardless, you know a recipe’s good when its passed along this way. I wasn’t there, but I can vividly imagine this recipe sparking my mother’s interest (at a 90s era holiday party, I’m sure, how fun!), and asking Mrs. Anthony to pass it along. Maybe Mrs. Anthony dictated the ingredients and procedure to my mom over the phone while she copied them down onto her own recipe card—what a time! Then it was special enough that it became a staple for me and my family. And now, because I love it so much, I’ve made the very easy decision to share it with you. I’m sorry I cannot send each of you a hand written recipe card, I really wish I could, but hopefully this email does the trick. And with that:
Cranberry Salsa (from Jenna Anthony)
Ingredients
12 oz. fresh cranberries
1 large granny smith apple, peeled, cored, and medium diced (about the same size as the cranberries)
1/2 large red pepper, medium diced
1/2 medium red onion, medium diced
3/4 cup apple juice
3 Tbsp cilantro, minced
2 Tbsp pickled jalapeño, minced
1 tsp lime zest (from about 1 lime)
1/2 tsp sea salt (plus more to taste)
Procedure
Put the cranberries, apple, red pepper, and onion in a food processor and pulse until everything reaches a well-combined minced texture.
Transfer the contents of the food processor to a large bowl then add the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine. Cover and store in the refrigerator at least 1-2 hours to allow the flavors to meld.
Serve with tortilla chips, enjoy, and please feel free to pass along should a friend or family member request this very special recipe :)
Okay, we’ve covered it. As mentioned, I have one more holiday app up on my proverbial sleeve for you. Stay tuned for that next week and in the meantime, have a lovely, well-fed week ahead.
With love and a tip of my chef’s hat,
Erica
Want more? I’m so flattered! You can also follow me on Instagram or TikTok, or check out my tips-laden e-book collection. The newest addition, Meal Prep Made Simple, is available to order now!