Not Just for Thanksgiving

"Don't relegate cranberries to the fall harvest; serve them year-round," says Jennifer Trainer Thompson in her recipe book, Very Cranberry.

"The cranberry is a versatile and delectable ingredient... the color is amazing: a deep, impenetrable garnet jewel that adds a majestic brushstroke of color and suggestion to many dishes."

In her recipes, cranberries create a startling counterpoint to other flavors in Chipotle Cranberry Cornbread, take center stage and enliven basic recipes like Cranberry Turnovers, make terrific house gifts like Cranberry Blueberry Jam, and create fantastic desserts like Drenched Cranberry Cake.

Fresh berries are available in stores throughout the fall and early winter and can be frozen for another month. Dried cranberries are available year round.