This cranberry salsa brings a Southwestern twist to a Thanksgiving favorite. Fresh cranberries, roasted peppers, jalapeño, and pecans give it a mix of sweet, spicy, and nutty flavors. Serve it chilled as a bright side or spooned over turkey.

Ingredients

• 2 red bell peppers
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup freshly, squeezed orange juice
• 3 cups fresh cranberries
• ½ teaspoon chopped jalapeno pepper, or more to taste
• ½ cup pecans
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Start one day in advance:

• Turn on the broiler and place the red bell peppers on a baking tree under it.
• As the skins blacken, turn them over.
• When all sides are black, remove them with tongs and place in a paper bag for 10 minutes.
• Remove them and strip off the blackened skin under cold running water.
• Coarsely chop the peppers.
• Heat the sugar and orange juice until the sugar has dissolved.
• Coarsely chop the cranberries in a food processor, then combine with the orange juice mixture and both kinds of peppers.
• Put in the refrigerator until the next day.
• Preheat the oven to 300º F.
• Toast the pecans by putting them in a single layer in a shallow dish such as a pie pan and placing them in the center of the oven.
• Leave for 8-10 minutes, or until they have turned a shade or two darker and smell fragrant.
• Cool, then coarsely chop them.
• Stir most of them into the salsa just before serving. Also, stir in most of the cilantro.
• Use the remaining nuts and cilantro as garnish.

Serves 8-10.