Mulled-Wine Cranberry Sauce

Makes about 3 cups

2 large navel oranges

Finely grate peel from 1 orange and reserve.   Cut off peel from second orange and white pith from both oranges.  Using small sharp knife and working over bowl to catch juice, cut between membranes to release orange segments.  Cut segments in half crosswise, reserve juice.

1 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries (3 cups)

1 ½ cups dry red wine

½ cup raw honey

¼ cup Ginger Cane Sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine cranberries, wine, honey, Ginger Cane Sugar, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, grated orange peel and reserved juice from oranges in medium saucepan.  Stir over medium-high heat until honey and sugar dissolves and mixture boils.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until berries burst and juices thicken slightly, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes.  Remove from heat; stir in orange segments.  Transfer sauce to bowl.  Cool to room temperature.  Cover and chill.  (Can be prepared 1 week ahead.  Keep refrigerated.)

Green Beans with Sautéed Shallots and Vermouth

Serves 4 to 6 
 

1 teaspoon sea salt of your choice

1 pound green beans, stem ends snapped off
 

Bring 2 ½ quarts water to a boil in a large sauce pan over high heat; add sea salt and green beans, return to boil and cook until beans are bright green and crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes.  Meanwhile, fill large bowl with ice water.  Drain beans in colander and transfer immediately to ice water.  When beans no longer feel warm to touch, drain in colander again and dry thoroughly with paper towels.  Transfer beans to gallon-sized zipper-lock bag, seal and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 3 days.
 

(To blanch, dress and serve the beans without holding them first in the refrigerator, increase the blanching time to 5 to 6 minutes and don’t bother shocking them in ice water.  Instead, quickly arrange the warm beans on a serving platter and top with the sauce you’ve prepared as the beans blanch.)
 

2 tablespoons unsalted butter (4TBS total)

4 large shallots, sliced thin (about 2 cups)
 

Heat 2 tablespoons butter in small skillet over medium heat until foaming; add shallots and cook, stirring frequently until golden brown, fragrant and just crisp around the edges, about 10 minutes.  Set skillet aside.

Heat ¼ cup water and beans in 12-inch skillet over high heat; cook, tossing frequently, until beans are warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes.  Season with sea salt and pepper to-taste and arrange neatly on warm serving platter.
 

2 tablespoons dry vermouth

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Sea salt  (Recommendations:  Fumee’ de Sel, Murray River or Garlic seasalt)           

Freshly ground pepper to-taste
 

Meanwhile, return skillet with shallots to high heat, stir in vermouth, and bring to simmer.  Whisk in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time; season with sea salt and pepper to-taste.  Top beans with shallots. 

Blue Cheese, Walnut and Cranberry Crostini

12 servings

24  ¼ -inch-thick slices of baguette bread

2 tablespoons walnut oil (4TBS total)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Arrange bread slices on baking sheet.  Brush bread slices on topside with 2 TBS walnut oil. Bake until crisp, about 3-5 minutes.

½ cup chopped, toasted walnuts

8 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

4 tablespoons minced shallots (6 TBS total)

1/3 cup dried cranberries

Fleur de Sel sea salt

Mix walnuts, cheese, 4 TBS shallots and dried cranberries in medium bowl.  Spread mixture on toasts.  Sprinkle with Fleur de Sel sea salt.  Bake until cheese melts, about 4 minutes.