By Thanksgiving week preparation. I have Mama's spiral notebook open on the counter and my own notebook next to it and together they look like a conversation between two women — one gone, one here — planning the same meal across the divide. I'm making everything on her list plus a few additions: the bourbon sweet potato casserole (confirmed delicious; the bourbon stays), a cranberry relish that I developed this year (fresh cranberries, orange zest, walnuts, a touch of maple syrup), and Claudette's rice and peas alongside the dressing, because my table now includes Jamaica and the food should reflect that.
Andre flew in Wednesday. He is in a good mood — his comedy career is picking up. He's been getting more bookings, more podcast appearances, more visibility. He told us at the kitchen table, while I was prepping the turkey brine, that he'd been offered a possible recurring spot on a Netflix sketch show. NETFLIX. Andre Jackson from Cascade Heights, the class clown, the kid who made everyone laugh because laughter was the only currency he had — on Netflix. Mama would have called everyone she knew. Mama would have told the checkout lady at Kroger. I told Vanessa, which is the modern equivalent.
Darnell and the family arrived Thursday morning. Miss Ernestine was brought at ten. She surveyed the kitchen from her wheelchair and said, "Who moved the spice rack?" Nobody moved the spice rack. It hasn't moved since 1987. But Miss Ernestine is ninety-three and her domain is criticism and nobody — nobody — corrects Miss Ernestine.
The food drive happened Saturday before Thanksgiving: 118 families fed. Not 120 — we came up two short because life is imperfect and 118 families is still 118 families who will eat on Thursday. The volunteers worked for six hours. I coordinated, distributed, and cried once in the church bathroom because the scale of need in this city still shocks me and the scale of generosity still saves me. Both things. Every year. Both things.
Fresh cranberries were already on my mind all week — I’d been stirring them with orange zest and maple syrup into the relish I finally made my own this year — so when I sat down to plan the full spread, I wanted one more place to let that tart, jewel-bright flavor shine. This Cranberry Apple and Blue Cheese Salad with Cranberry Apple Cider Dressing earned a spot on the table right next to Claudette’s rice and peas, because a table that holds Jamaica and Atlanta and Miss Ernestine in her wheelchair deserves food that is as layered and bold as the people around it. Mama’s notebook didn’t have this one, but I think she would have approved.
Cranberry Apple and Blue Cheese Salad with Cranberry Apple Cider Dressing
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 20 min | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- For the Dressing:
- 1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons apple cider or apple juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- For the Salad:
- 8 cups mixed greens or baby spinach
- 1 large Honeycrisp or Gala apple, cored and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
- 1/3 cup candied or toasted pecans
- 1/4 red onion, very thinly sliced
Instructions
- Make the dressing. Combine the fresh cranberries, apple cider vinegar, apple cider, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in a small blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. With the blender running on low, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the dressing is emulsified and creamy. Taste and adjust sweetness or acidity as needed. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Prep the apple. Slice the apple just before assembling to prevent browning. If prepping ahead, toss slices in a little lemon juice to keep them bright.
- Assemble the salad. Spread the mixed greens or spinach in a large serving bowl or on a platter. Arrange the apple slices, dried cranberries, red onion, and candied pecans over the top.
- Add the cheese. Scatter the crumbled blue cheese evenly across the salad. For a milder flavor, substitute goat cheese or gorgonzola dolce.
- Dress and serve. Drizzle the cranberry apple cider dressing over the salad just before serving. Toss gently at the table or serve the dressing on the side so guests can dress their own portions. Serve immediately.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 280 | Protein: 5g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 26g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 310mg