The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Austin had the chance to help some friends with their cranberry harvest this fall.
It was interesting listening to him describe the process of flooding the bogs and how the buoys helped to corral the crop.
Cranberries are one of Mark’s favorite and I try to have some on hand year round.
So this is the time of year when I stock up on cranberries for my freezer.
Thankfully they freeze well and can be used year round. I throw some in my apple pies as a colorful surprise. I use them in banana bread to mix things up.
Of course I have to make fresh cranberry sauce. Mark uses it like jam on his pancakes and biscuits. He also has a big side of cranberry sauce to eat with his roast beef.
So here are some of our new favorite cranberry recipes, along with tips to make moist tender shredded beef. Enjoy!
1 c. sugar
1 c. liquid (water or orange juice or combination)
12 oz berries
Over medium heat, combine sugar and liquid till dissolved. Add berries. Stir occasionally until berries start to pop 8 – 10 minutes.
Remove from heat. Pour into bowl. Cranberries sauce will thicken as it cools.
2 c. cranberries, halved
½ c. chopped pecans
4 eggs
1 ½ c. sugar
¼ c. melted butter
1 ½ TBSP vinegar
1 tsp vanilla1 pie pastry
Place cranberries and nuts in pie shell. Mix remaining ingredients together and pour over berries and nuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 – 40 minutes. Pie should look set. Cool. Refrigerate.
3 c. flour
½ tsp salt
1 TBSP baking powder
1/3 c. sugar
¼ c. light brown sugar
1 TBSP orange zest, finely grated
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp cardamom
½ c very COLD butter
1 large egg, cold
¾ c. heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla
½ tsp orange extract
1 ½ c. fresh or frozen cranberries
Egg Wash: 1 large egg, beaten; 1 tsp water
2 TBSP sparkling sugar
Combine dry ingredients. Chunk or grate very cold butter with cheese grater.
Work butter into dry ingredients.
In a small bowl whisk together cream, egg and extract.
Pour into dry ingredients. Add cranberries. Mix until “shaggy” dough.
Pour out on floured surface. Work into a disc shape.
Cut into 8 triangles (like a pizza) and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 2” apart.
Brush tops with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.
Cool 5 minutes then drizzle with glaze.
1 c powdered sugar, shifted
2 TBSP orange juice
1 tsp orange zest, finely grated
½ tsp vanilla
Dash salt (to cut sweetness)
Whisk together and drizzle over warm scones.
1 ½ c beer (full bodied or ale)
½ c cider vinegar
2 TBSP tomato paste
6 garlic cloves, crushed
3 bay leaves
2 tsp dried oregano
Salt and pepper
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp cinnamon
1 large onion, sliced into ½ inch thick rounds
3# roast
Combine beer, vinegar, tomato paste, garlic, bay leaves, oregano, 2 tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, cloves and cinnamon in Dutch oven.
Arrange onion rounds in a single layer on bottom of pot.
Place beef on top of onions. Cover and cook until meat is well browned and tender.
Now here is where the patience kicks in. I covered my Dutch oven with tin foil and then put the lid on top. I placed it in my oven at 250 degrees and let it cook over night. The meat needs to reach 210 degrees internally for an hour in order for the connective tissues and meat to break down. I also used my crock pot for another roast and let it cook on low and slow for 10 hours. Once the meat is done, remove it from the pot and place on a platter. Tent the meat with tin foil to keep it moist and warm while you work with the juices. Discard the onions and bay leaves but save the juices! Let the juices cool so you can skim off the fat. You can put the meat back in some of the juices for moisture. Any leftover juices I put in an ice cream pail to save for soup. I keep adding leftover vegetables and meat to the bucket. Once it is full, I have a pot full of soup ready to cook.
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As their 4 children pursue dairy careers off the farm, Natalie and Mark are starting a new adventure of milking registered Holsteins just because they like good cows on their Minnesota farm. (Natalie grew up in Stronghurst, the daughter of Becky and the late Larry Dowell.)
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