Bog monster: the little berry with the big taste. (food matters).(Brief Article)(Recipe)

It would seem that any respectable article on cranberries would begin with the noble backgronnd of this patriotic fruit. For instance, we know that cranberries were most likely served at the first Thanksgiving, and that, along with the blueberry and the Concord grape, cranberries are a native North American crop. Blah, blah; blah.

But let's face it--for most of us, cranberries are basically a holiday-only food (think cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving and cranberry-and-popcorn garlands on the Christmas tree) -- kind of like hard-boiled eggs at Easter and watermelon on the Fourth of July.

There is probably a good reason for this. Truth be told, you're not going to pop these hard, sour berries into your mouth like you would a strawberry, and who has the time (or the desire) to be boiling the berries into sauce except, of course, during the holidays? Yet there's something so unique about cranberries that can't be found in other fruits. First off, they're tart--lip-smackingly tart-- and for those of us who relish dill pickles, lemons and Granny Smith apples, they're a welcome addition to our food repertoire. Second, they go extraordinarily well with other flavors and foods: apples, oranges, nuts, pork and, of course, turkey. And then there's the whole health issue. Cranberry has been proven to aid in the prevention of urinary tract infections, gum disease, and breast cancer. So what's not to love? And there's more good news--cranberries are now available dried, lust like raisins, so you can eat them plain or use them in recipes, as in the following.

 
Nutty Cranberry Apple Pork 
 
Serves 2-4 
 
The flavors of fall come through in this antioxidant-rich 
main dish. 
 
  2 medium apples, diced small 
1/2 cup dried cranberries, diced 
1/3 cup almonds, chopped 
  1 Tbsp. butter 
1/2 cup bread crumbs 
1/2 cup orange marmalade 
1/2 cup orange juice 
  1 lb. pork tenderloin 
Salt and pepper 
 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
 
Make stuffing: In a medium pan, saute 
apples and cranberries in butter until apples 
are soft and begin to brown, about 15 minutes. 
Stir in breadcrumbs. Remove from heat and 
add almonds. 
 
Make glaze: In a small saucepan over low 
heat, stir marmalade and orange juice until thin 
and syrupy. 
 
Butterfly-cut pork tenderloin, (slice horizontally 
almost all the way through). Open and stuff with 
apple cranberry mixture. Tie tenderloin together 
and insert a meat thermometer. Place in a baking 
dish (extra stuffing may be placed around the 
tenderloin). Brush tenderloin with orange glaze 
and bake in oven for 30-45 minutes, or until meat 
thermometer reaches 170 degrees. Remove pork 
from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before 
serving. Season with salt and pepper. 
Crunchy Cranberry Cereal 
 
Makes 5 cups 
 
Crunchier and tastier than boring old granola, 
this mix is great served with plain yogurt or milk. 
 
2-1/2 cups toasted rice ...