Mama's Orange Pear Cranberry Sauce

Autumn...I love autumn. I love the crisp air and falling leaves and sweaters and PUMPKINS. (I'm obsessed with pumpkins but that's for another post) I also love autumn foods: pumpkin pie (again with the pumpkin) apple crisp, baked ham and Mama's cranberry sauce. Actually, it's more of a compote because the cranberries stay whole. But it is delicious.

Mama's Orange Pear Cranberry Sauce

3 cups fresh cranberries (you can buy them by the bag in the grocery store)
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup orange juice
1 cup sugar
3 medium size ripe pears, diced

In a large saucepan, combine water, orange juice, sugar. Heat over medium heat until sugar completely dissolves.

This was before I added the orange juice.

Add cranberries, lower heat to medium low and allow to simmer for 10 -15 minutes. Cranberries will pop. When mixture is thickened and a little more than half the berries have popped, stir in the pears and let it cook 2 more minutes.

It looks so pretty and it makes the house smell lovely.

Allow to cool before storing it in your choice of containers. I bought a 12 pack of canning jars at the grocery store and used them. The cranberry sauce looks so pretty in them.

Mama bought a bunch of pretty regular glass containers and she gives them away to friends every autumn.

This cranberry sauce happens to go on everything. My brother eats it right out of the fridge and with every meal. Someone else I know puts it on homemade muffins or bread. It's that good. Provided, of course. that you like cranberries. If you don't, I can't help you.

Eggplant Rollatini

 
There really isn't any anecdote to this recipe, sorry. We had a friend over this weekend and I wanted to make something I hadn't made in quite a while. Since she likes eggplant also, I decided to make this one. It came out quite well, if I do say so myself, and as many things, was even better the next day for lunch. Enjoy.

Eggplant Rollatini

2 eggplants, peeled and sliced lengthwise, into 1/2 inch slices
salt and pepper
3/4 cup olive oil
16 oz ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
3 tbsp grated Parmesan
20 basil leaves, thinly sliced or 1 tbsp dried basil
2 cups tomato sauce (recipe follows)

On a large baking sheet, arrange eggplant slices and sprinkle with salt. Set aside for 15 minutes. Rinse the eggplant and pat dry. Brush each slice with olive oil

Using a grill, or in my case the grill pan from Crate and Barrel, grill slices, about 4 minutes per side.

Spray a large casserole dish with olive oil and spread 1/2 cup of tomato sauce on the bottom. In a bowl, mix the ricotta, egg, mozzarella, Parmesan and basil. When the eggplant slices are cool enough to touch, place about a tbsp of cheese mixture at one end of each slice and roll. Place, seam side down, into the casserole dish. Continue with remaining eggplant slices. Spoon remaining tomato sauce over the eggplant and sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, if desired. At this point, decide whether you want to cook it now or cover and refrigerate it, for up to 8 hours)

Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes, until bubbly. Serve.

Tomato Sauce (adapted from a recipe from Giada De Laurentiis)

1/2 cup olive oil
2 smallish onions, chopped small
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 celery stalks, chopped small
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 32oz cans crushed tomatoes
2 dried bay leaves
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

In a large pot over medium high heat, saute onions and garlic in the olive oil. When onions are translucent, add celery, salt and pepper. Saute until celery is soft. Add tomatoes, bay leaves, basil and red pepper flakes. Simmer, uncovered, for about an hour or until sauce is thickened. Remove bay leaves (hopefully you can find them)

Use in a recipe immediately, cover and refridgerate or freeze for a later date.