With Thanksgiving falling on the first day of Hanukkah, I wanted to look for ways to blend a little each holiday at the same table.
And it turns out the fruit is a fine place to start. Because cooked fruit enjoys starring roles in both holidays. For Hanukkah, there often is applesauce, a sweet and refreshing counterpoint to savory, crispy potato latkes. And for Thanksgiving, a dinner spread is incomplete without a sweet and tart cranberry sauce — even if it’s from a can.
These fruits complement one another so wonderfully, there actually are numerous ways to combine them. You could chop raw cranberries and apples, then toss them with sweetened lemon juice, red onion and minced jalapenos for a fresh salsa-like accompaniment.
Or you could simply combine peeled apples and fresh cranberries and simmer them together with cinnamon, sugar and lemon juice for a sauce that is a little bit applesauce, a little bit cranberry sauce.