Wintery Cranberry Relish with Crushed Pecans

It's really been feeling like winter here the past few days. The wind howls at night, we've seen some flurries, anytime I look out my window, I see hats and scarves and thick coats with hoods.

Winter time always seem to signify busy time, doesn't it? If it's not holiday shopping, then it's having guests over or family visits. Work gets stressful and the days feel shorter (the days are shorter). So I won't linger. I will give you a recipe, but with no real story.

This is actually my sister's recipe. It is one that she found, I believe, in a newspaper somewhere (most likely the Washington Post) and then, as she proudly told me, edited a bit. Which is quite a feat for her. She's a recipe follower. She doesn't improvise with food. But this time she did, and so now I give you, with some of my own edits as well, a raw cranberry relish recipe that is at least ten times better than it sounds. It's also fantastically healthy and easy to make. Give it a go. Really. You'd be surprised how delicious it is, especially when served with a pecan pie or some ice cream or alongside some rosemary chicken. It goes great as a replacement for cranberry sauce or jelly in holiday meals.

Raw Cranberry Relish with Crushed Pecans
1 bag fresh cranberries
2 whole clementines, organic, skin included, washed and cut into chunks
3/4 cup shelled pecans
1/3 cup mild honey, such as clover
1/4 tsp cinnamon
dash of ground cloves

Place all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and pulse. Blend to get a uniform, finely chopped mixture. If you want a crunchier texture, blend less. Chill until ready to serve.

Be sure to make at least 4-5 hours in advance. The longer the mixture is allowed to sit and marinate (in the fridge), the better it tastes, since the raw cranberries mellow out.