Monadnock Community Market

Ingredients:
crust
1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons (about) ice water
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

filling
1/2 cup whipping cream
8 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 tablespoons crème de cassis (black currant-flavored liqueur)

candied cranberries
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 12-ounce packages frozen cranberries, unthawed
1 cup sugar

Method:
For crust:


Blend flour, sugar and salt in processor. Add butter and cut in, using on/off turns, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 2 1/2 tablespoons water, egg yolk and vanilla. Blend until moist clumps form, adding more water by 1/2 tablespoonfuls if dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; chill at least 2 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Let soften slightly before rolling out.)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 13- to 14-inch round. Transfer dough to 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Cut dough overhang to 3/4 inch; fold overhang in and press, forming sides that extend 1/4 inch above top of pan. Pierce crust all over with fork. Freeze 15 minutes. Bake crust 15 minutes. If sides of crust fall, press up with back of fork. Bake crust until beginning to brown, about 15 minutes longer. Cool on rack.

For filling:


Bring cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth; whisk in liqueur. Pour filling into crust. Refrigerate until filling is firm, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

For candied cranberries:


Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Rinse cranberries in cold water, toss in sugar while still wet. Arrange on pan and place pan in freezer until firm. Bake for ten minutes.  Cool on sheet 5 minutes. Spoon berries atop filling; drizzle with syrup from sheet. Chill 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.) Sprinkle with additional tablespoon of sugar before serving for added sparkle.

Adapted from: Bon Appetit, December 1999

Ingredients:

4 cups peeled and grated carrots
2/3 cup dried sweetened cranberries
½ cup toasted slivered almonds
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
¼ cup walnut oil (other oil is fine too)
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
Salt and Pepper

Method:
Toss carrots with dried cranberries. In a small bowl, whisk vinegar, oil, honey, ginger, and a pinch of salt and pepper until smooth. Toss dressing with salad and top with toasted almonds.

Adapted from: Bon Appetit, December 1999

By Liza Drew, Keene State College Dietetic Intern

Image from the Cranberry Marketing Committee:

Flavorful Fact: Though they may be small, cranberries are bursting with health benefits. Cranberries are often water-harvested, meaning that the bog is flooded so that the cranberries float to the surface for easier collection.

Recently, studies have found that water-harvested cranberries contain more antioxidants because exposure to sunlight increases these healthy phytonutrients that make cranberries red. One such antioxidant is resveratrol, which is also found in dark chocolate and red wine and may help prevent cancer.

I remember trudging through a cold and soggy marsh on a class field trip when I was little. The leader of our adventure, an environmental scientist, pointed out interesting plants and identified bird-calls along the way. At one point, she reached down and picked a small handful of shiny red berries. She told us they were wild cranberries and offered us tastes. I was familiar with cranberries as I liked to help my mom make cranberry sauce during the holidays.

My classmates faces puckered as tiny red bits of cranberry were spit out onto the brown leaves beneath our feet. “These aren’t cranberries!” one boy shouted, having never tasted the fruit in its natural form without heaps of sugar added to its juice.

Cranberries are one of the only berries native to North America, and grow well in New England. Cranberries are also easy to store, dried, frozen, or made into preserves or chutney. They provide colorful and flavorful variety to a cold-weather meal, and are filled with vitamin C, a nutrient that we sometimes lack in winter months. They can be used in savory dishes, such as this crunchy carrot and cranberry salad or in festive desserts like this chocolate tart with candied cranberries.

Try these Recipes:

Crunchy Carrot and Cranberry Salad

Chocolate Tart with Candied Cranberries