This recipe comes from my mom's mom's repertoire. I was going to ask my sister to send me a scanned picture of Grandma Lee for today's post, but she's on vacation. Use your imagination and visualize a tall yet round grandmotherly woman with perfect silvery-gray hair – all but the two dark streaks rising up in the front above each eyebrow ("They're my horns," she would say with a mischievous smile).

The perfect balance of sweet with just enough sour and bitter – and a whole lot of zesty. Grandma? Or the recipe below? I'll leave the to you to decide.

Regardless, its perfect for Thanksgiving and if it weren't there it would be missed.

 

Edited: Needless to say, cranberry relish is not the most photogenic of foods. But you get the idea.

Grandma Lee's Cranberry Relish

1 Lb cranberries (frozen are okay – actually a bit more cooperative than fresh)

4 organic oranges (don't peel, just wash)

1/2 C agave nectar (or, as Grandma says use 3/4 C sugar. You choose. But don't add both.)

1/2 C pecans, chopped

Using a very clean meat grinder or a food processor, grind cranberries until pieces are roughly 1/4 the size of a raisin. If using a meat grinder (our preference) just put on the coarser plate and go with it. It'll be perfect.

Cut orange into chunks and process as cranberries.

Stir in agave or sugar and let sit for several minutes. Taste, adjust sweetness, and allow to sit again before adjusting further. It changes. Magical, mysterious stuff. Just like Grandma.

Stir in pecan bits and enjoy! (Nope. You don't cook it.)