Cranberry Salsa

I like to try a new recipe around the holidays just to mix things up a bit. I had heard about "cranberry salsa" from so many different friends and decided we needed to give it a try this year. This recipe does not disappoint and will be a regular addition to our winter table. It's all the colors and flavors of the holidays in one dish and when you serve over cream cheese with crackers it is positively addicting. I personally think that the freshly grated ginger is what puts this sweet salsa over the top!

Ingredients:
12oz fresh cranberries
1 jalapeno, finely diced (I remove the seeds)
6 green onions, finely sliced
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 cup sugar
Juice of 1 lime (about 1 1/2 Tbsp)
1/4 tsp salt
freshly cracked pepper
2 blocks cream cheese

Rinse and drain the cranberries in a colander, removing any that are soft or mushy. Place them in the food processor. Add the jalapeno, green onions, cilantro, ginger, sugar, lime, salt and pepper. Chop to desired consistency. (I like mine pretty fine.) Place in a airtight container with a lid and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 3-4 hours so the flavors can meld together.

Spoon 1/2 of the cranberry salsa over each of the blocks of cream cheese and serve with crackers or chips. (Or do like us and save half of the salsa and a block of cream cheese to pull out later in the evening.)

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