This morning I got permission to share my favorite Thanksgiving recipe from Nextdoorganics. Nextdoorganics is a local food subscription service that Devin and I get on a weekly basis. Aside from bringing us fresh organic fruits and vegetables from nearby farms (and New York City rooftops!), Nextdoorganics also sends weekly email newsletters with recipes, and maintains social media accounts, like this Pinterest, that make it easy to learn how to make new things. We love it because we can pay by the week and skip weeks when we’re out of town. We could also cancel at any time (but why would we want to?). It’s a great way to support local farmers for people who don’t have the funds or stability to join a CSA program.

Anyway, enough with the testimonial, let’s get to the food! Until last year, I’d never made cranberry sauce, but when we got cranberries in our Nextdoorganics package and I saw the recipe in the newsletter, I decided to give it a try. This year I couldn’t wait to make it again. It’s really easy, but the flavors are beautiful and complex. It’s a fancy food with minimal effort, a.k.a. my favorite kind. I like eating it with my Thanksgiving dinner and using it in sandwiches or as a jam for weeks afterward. It’s good with everything!

Classic Cranberry Sauce

12 ounces of fresh cranberries
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon orange zest
Juice from 1 orange (about 3 to 4 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise

Instructions: Add all of the ingredients to a medium saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Simmer the mixture for 15-20 minutes, until the cranberries have burst and the sauce has reduced slightly. Give it a taste (be careful, it’ll be hot!) and adjust the seasonings. You may want it to be a bit sweeter. Remove the star anise and cinnamon stick and discard. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill. The cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.