Ocean Spray Offers Seasonal Recipe for Cranberry Month

A recipe for haricots verts was one of the four finalists in the Ocean Spray recipe contest.

October is National Cranberry Month, and recently we got a sneak peek at the consumer category cookoff for Ocean Spray’s Third Annual Ultimate Cranberry Recipe Contest at the DeGustibus Cooking School at Macy’s Herald Square in New York City. Celebrity chef judge Tyler Florence later announced the winners at Rockefeller Center’s Loft and Garden, overlooking a 1,500-square-foot manmade “urban bog,” constructed to hold one ton of cranberries — as well as a few real-life cranberry growers — in conjunction with the event and Ocean Spray’s 80th-anniversary “Bogs Across America” campaign. (The bog’s next stop is Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA, Oct. 17 and 18.)

Patrice Hurd won $25,000 for the consumer division with her cranberry bacon scones, which beat out recipes for strata, shortbread and haricots verts. Chris Wright won the same amount in the food-service category with his cranberry wontons. The most impressive-looking food of the night, however, was not an entry at all, but a cake depicting a miniature cranberry bog, created by Duff Goldman, aka the Food Network’s Ace of Cakes and co-author of the forthcoming Ace of Cakes: Inside the World of Charm City Cakes (William Morrow, 2009).

Following is finalist Kara Adanalian’s recipe using Ocean Spray Craisins and Cranberry Juice Cocktail. The original recipe calls for a ½ cup of blanched and toasted almonds, which can be added if desired.

Sweet-N-Savory Haricots Verts
1 small onion, sliced
2 tablespoons water
½ teaspoon salt
10 ounces fresh or frozen green beans
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon cumin seed (lightly toast and pound with mortar and pestle if desired)
1 teaspoon curry powder
4 ounces dried cranberries
¼ cup sherry
¼ cup cranberry juice cocktail
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

If using fresh green beans, cook first in salted boiling water for 3–4 minutes or until just tender. Drain; rinse in cold water. Combine onion, water and salt in large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until water evaporates. Add beans, garlic, butter, cumin and curry powder; stir to coat beans. Stir in dried cranberries, sherry, juice cocktail and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook for 5–10 minutes or until liquid evaporates and mixture is heated through.

Makes 2 servings.

NUTRITION SCORE (per serving)
389 calories
30% fat
Fat 13 g
Carbs 68 g
Protein 4 g
Fiber 9 g
Calcium 101 mg
Iron 2 mg
Sodium 593 mg

Cranberries are rich in antioxidants and proanthocyanidins, compounds that helps prevent urinary-tract infections. Research has shown that the tart berries also may be helpful for gastrointestinal health and in preventing kidney stones. What is your favorite way to consume cranberries?

Tags: Ace of Cakes, Agriculture, Agronomy, Bean, Berries, Celebrity chef judge, chef judge, Chris Wright, co-author, Common bean, Cranberry, Cranberry sauce, DeGustibus Cooking School, Duff Goldman, food, food-service category, Foxborough, Fruit, Gillette Stadium, Hospitality/Recreation, Hurd, Juice, Kara Adanalian, Macy’s Herald, Macy’s Herald Square, Massachusetts, New York City, Ocean Spray, Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc., Patrice Hurd, Rockefeller Center, THE GILLETTE COMPANY, Tyler Florence, USD, Vaccinium, William Morrow