Recipe for "cranb-relish-2"

NAME

     CRANB-RELISH-2 - Molded fresh cranberry relish with dressing
     For years my mother required us to taste  her  ever-changing
     version  of a fresh cranberry relish she insisted serving at
     Thanksgiving and Christmas.  The unanimous  family  response
     to  the inevitably bitter dish was, ``Do we have to?''  Then
     one year a friend came to Thanksgiving  dinner  and  contri-
     buted what is now known simply as ``the recipe.''  Mom never
     tried to improve on this addictive relish.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 8-10)

          DRESSING
     700 g     marshmallow creme
     250 ml    heavy whipping cream
     100 g     cream cheese
          RELISH
     300 g     fresh cranberries
     200 ml    water
     180 g     raspberry Jello mix (1 package)
     50 g      granulated sugar
     300 g     Tokay grapes (quartered and seeded)
     300 g     celery, chopped fine
     500 g     canned crushed pineapple, including syrup (one  #2
               can).

PROCEDURE (DRESSING)

          (1)  The night before serving  the  relish,  place  the
               cream  cheese  and  marshmallow  creme  in a small
               bowl.  Mash lightly with a fork to barely break up
               cream cheese.
          (2)  Add whipping cream and cover tightly.  Refrigerate
               overnight.
          (3)  15 minutes before  serving, whip mixture  with  an
               electric mixer until it reaches the consistency of
               thick, but not stiff, whipped cream.

PROCEDURE (RELISH)

          (1)  Rinse cranberries thoroughly.  Place in a  2-liter
               saucepan  with  water, and cover.  Bring to a boil
               and cook until the berries have ``popped.''
          (2)  Remove from heat and,  using  an  electric  mixer,
               beat gently until all the berries are broken.
          (3)  Add Jello and sugar.  Plan saucepan over a bowl of
               ice and stir occasionally until mixture has thick-
               ened but not jelled.
          (4)  Add grapes, celery, and crushed pineapple (includ-
               ing packing syrup).
          (5)  Pour into prepared mold and chill in  refrigerator
               until set (about 3 hours).
          (6)  To serve, unmold relish onto  a  plate  and  place
               dressing  in  a  separate dish.  Serve a couple of
               dollops of dressing with each serving of relish.

NOTES

     The most difficult step  is  in  unmolding  the  relish.   I
     always spray my mold very lightly with a coating of an aero-
     sol cooking oil (such as ``PAM'') before filling it with the
     relish.   When  it's  time  to  unmold, I run a thin spatula
     around the outside of the molded relish to barely loosen it,
     place  the  serving  plate  on  top  and invert the mold and
     plate. I rarely have to dip the mold in hot water to  loosen
     the relish.
     I usually use a standard ring mold and put the dressing in a
     footed compote which sits in the center of the unmolded ring
     of relish.

RATING

     Difficulty: moderate.  Time: 10 minutes  preparation,  over-
     night  chilling,  30  more  minutes preparation.  Precision:
     approximate measurement OK.

CONTRIBUTOR

     Pamela McGarvey
     UCLA Comprehensive Epilepsy Program, Los Angeles, Calif., USA
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