Cranberry-Orange Relish

Grind up coarsely in your meat grinder or food processor the cranberries and oranges. Sweeten to taste with sugar.

NOTES:

* A fruit relish for holiday dinners — In Chicago, where I did much of my growing up, there was a company called Indian Trails that made a frozen cranberry relish, and their relish was traditional at my family's Thanksgiving dinner. When I moved to Boston I missed it. So I determined when next I went back to find a package of Indian Trails, read the label carefully, and duplicate the ingredients.

Alas, the company had gone bankrupt in my absence and there were no packages anywhere in any reputable store. But I knew about the disreputable stores as well, so I took myself over to 47th Street and sure enough there in the frozen foods section I found a pink-marbled, faintly sticky package of Indian Trails cranberry relish, undoubtedly thawed out and re-frozen at least a dozen times.

Eagerly I snatched it up, eagerly I read the mysterious ingredients: cranberries, oranges, sugar. (This was before the days when they would have boasted No preservatives! No artificial ingredients!) I returned to Boston. I tried it: cranberries, oranges, sugar. Based on the original experience with Indian Trails, I assume my home-made version would freeze admirably.

One year, in a restless fit, I added a little powdered cinnamon, but that was silly, and I'm ashamed of myself now.

: Difficulty: easy. : Time: 3 minutes. : Precision: no need to measure.

: Mary-Claire van Leunen : Digital Equipment Corporation, Systems Research Center, Palo Alto, CA

Your Cranberry-Orange Relish is ready. Buon appetito!