Cranberry Poblano Pepper Relish is a spicy sweet recipe that can do dual duty as a relish for a turkey sandwich or can dress up a cheese and crackers as a holiday appetizer. This is my homage to my dual roots: the poblano representing the Southwest where I lived for years and the cranberries my adopted PNW home.
I never gave much thought to where cranberries came from before I moved to Oregon, when I first saw a cranberry bog along the coast. It turns out that seven percent of the cranberries produced in the US come from Oregon from the southern coastal region. I bought my first Oregon cranberries seven years ago from a local farm – the first time I’ve ever bought unpackaged cranberries by the pound. This resulted in bags of frozen cranberries and lots of cranberry related preserves.
I found cranberries from Oregon this year at New Seasons, which is a PNW natural foods chain. Rather than going crazy and buying more cranberries than I can possibly use in a season, I bought just enough for cranberry sauce and cranberry poblano pepper relish, with a little to set aside in the freezer for baking later in December.
If you are looking for a last minute Thanksgiving recipe to use up excess cranberries, this cranberry poblano pepper relish is perfect and pairs very well with leftover turkey on a sandwich. It is also worth pinning for use in December for an easy appetizer when paired with cream cheese or brie and crackers.
Cranberry Poblano Pepper Relish
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 poblano pepper
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
4 teaspoons brown sugar
Chop the cranberries and poblano pepper finely. (Alternatively, process both in a food processor to chop finely). Add the lime, cumin, coriander and brown sugar and combine. Enjoy!
