Fresh Cranberry-Mandarin Salad

My Aunt Brenda brought this cranberry recipe to the table some years ago, sans the mandarin oranges. I just love the taste of the two fruits together, so I added the oranges. Waiting until just prior to serving before adding the nuts keeps them crunchy and lets the whipped cream stay fluffy. Honestly, growing up, I hated this salad. It was delicious, but my job was cutting each individual cranberry. It was tedious and maddening. Can you say “food processor”? This device makes the chopping much easier and allows me to actually enjoy the food instead of spending a lifetime cutting little cranberry rounds. This is a perfect holiday salad when the berries are in season.

2 cups raw cranberries, chopped

2 tablespoons lemon juice

4 cups miniature marshmallows

¾ cup sugar

2 cups mandarin oranges, drained

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup chopped pecans

In a medium bowl combine the cranberries, lemon juice, marshmallows, sugar, and mandarin oranges. Cover and chill overnight to allow the flavors to mingle and a syrup to form. About 1 hour before serving, whip the cream as firm as you can and fold it into the salad along with the chopped nuts. Move the salad to a presentation bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 to 10 servings

We may not be wealthy, but our food is rich.