Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Can you hear it?

It's the sound of millions of home cooks preparing for the big day tomorrow. This year we are hosting about a dozen folks at Chez Sweet Pea, and our preparations began this past weekend, with us finishing the menu, checking our grocery lists and coming up with our game plan.

R, G and I will be whipping up some good eats this afternoon. Ours is a traditional North (yours truly) meets South (SPH) Thanksgiving:

Turkey with Stuffing and Gravy
Mashed Potatoes
Candied Sweet Potatoes
Green Bean Casserole
Collards
Scalloped Oysters
Relish Tray
Bread and Yeast Rolls
Pumpkin Pie
Apple Cobbler

As for the cranberries, we mix it up a bit. A long time ago I stumbled upon this recipe for cranberry salsa. You serve it atop Melba Toast, that has been slathered with cream cheese. Heaven.

 

We still have the obligatory cranberry sauce, but really, each of us at the table knows, the cranberry salsa is where it's at.

Cranberry Salsa Rounds*

3 c whole fresh cranberries (1 - 12oz bag) rinsed
3 green onions, chopped
1 medium jalepeno, seeded
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c fresh cilantro
2 T fresh ginger
2 T fresh lemon or lime juice
1 box of plain melba toast rounds
1 package of plain cream cheese

*The rounds are amazing; but also try using the salsa as a condiment with your dinner or on leftover turkey sandwiches.

Rinse the cranberries and pick out any ones that are green or mushy:
Place all the ingredients in a food processor (doesn't it just look like the holidays?)
Pulse it a few times until it looks like this:
Then serve on Melba Toast rounds that have about a teaspoon of cream cheese on top. I will post photos of the salsa rounds once we whip them up tomorrow.

Already finalized your menu for tomorrow and don't want to fight the crowds to pick up the ingredients for this recipe? Then make them during the Christmas season...they look so festive you won't be able to stand it.

Happy Thanksgiving,
SPC

2 comments:

whitneyingram said...

I can't wait to try this! It is on my list for when I get home and back to cooking.

Steel Magnolia said...

I've made something like this before and it is so yummy..I think I'll make it again. Happy Thanksgiving Sweet Pea Family!