So Saucy!

Just when it seemed that winter would have no end, we got hit with some glorious spring time temperatures. Of course my kids immediately got spring fever and started asking when the 'berry farm' would be open! That would be code talk for "we are sick of frozen/canned vegetables and apples and oranges"! It does seem like we eat an awful lot of apples and oranges over the winter, gorge ourselves on fresh summer fruit and veggies only to become nostalgic for a juicy, ripe apple as soon as the cool weather comes back! I keep a basket of apples and other fruits on the counter in the kitchen but sometimes those apples linger waaaay past their prime. Then we make applesauce (which is sooo good, we don't buy it anymore, ever!).

One day, as I passed through the giant warehouse of institutional sized packages, I had the chance to taste something I had long forgotten, a red pear. They were so good, hubby went back twice and then we bought a bag. What the heck, we thought we could pass them off to the kids as easily as apples and it would be a little change of pace. Hah!! I don't know what happened between the ones we tasted and the ones that we bought, but those skins were so thick, I considered options for new shoes or a hand bag!! Ugh!

Needless to say, they sat in the basket, waiting patiently for inspiration. They didn't have to wait long. About a week after I realized that those pears were not leaving on their own, I came across a bag of frozen cranberries in the freezer. Hmmmmm....cranberries, pears, ginger.....Cranberry Sauce with pears and ginger!!!! Delish! It made a great side dish with pork and chicken, we ate it warm for dessert with an almond cookie crumbled over the top and finally just finished it off as a snack. Next time, it may even find it's way into a pie crust. Enjoy!

Cranberry Sauce with pears and ginger

1 bag whole fresh cranberries

6-8 medium sized pears (the softer, the better!)

1c. white sugar

1/2c. water

1-2t. ground ginger

Peel the pears and core them. Cut in small dice. Put the fresh cranberries in a pot. Add the water and the sugar. Add the pears. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until the pears break down, the berries pop, the sugar dissolves and the whole thing begins to thicken slightly. Stir in ginger to suit your taste. Pour into glass jars or heat proof containers and refrigerate. It will thicken a little more as it cools.