On a Cranberry Journey

When the National Cranberry Assn. held its 29th annual meeting in 1959, food writer Clementine Paddleford made the rounds. Or, as she described it, she “went begging ideas from growers’ wives.” This was not unusual, really, for the food editor of This Week magazine, a Sunday supplement to The Times. For years she had scoured the country, looking for new ways to turn simple ingredients into delicious dishes.

One year before her cross-country journeys would end, Paddleford learned that 150 “ladies had gone traveling with their husbands” to the Hanson, Mass., cranberry meeting. So she would not let the opportunity pass to find “new ways to use the bouncy little berry.”

First she had a “chat” with Mrs. Milton Reeves of New Lisbon, N.J., who advised that fresh cranberries be stored in the freezer for year-round use.

Then she spoke with Mrs. Thomas B. Darlington Jr., who shared her cranberry pudding recipe--”a hand-down from old times.”

Cranberry pie and cranberry torte recipes quickly followed. These were offered by Mrs. Newell Jasperson of Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., whose husband was a third-generation cranberry grower.

Back in her office, Paddleford reprinted the recipes in This Week magazine on Nov. 15, 1959. Under the headline, “Cranberries Don’t Need Turkey!” she reported that the 1959 cranberry crop was estimated at 1,263,000 barrels, with 100 pounds to a barrel. (According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the forecast for 1999 is “a record high” of 5.81 million barrels.) Also, 60% of those 1959 cranberries would be used for jellies, sauces and cranberry cocktails. (Today, about 95% of the cranberry crop is processed into juice and sauce, while only 5% is reserved for hand-to-mouth eating.)

As for Mrs. Jasperson’s cranberry torte, the cranberries are combined with dates, walnuts and orange zest, which gives the dessert a hearty, fruity and decidedly California flavor. We’d call it a cake instead of a torte, however, since it contains a fair amount of flour and makes do without a butter cream or jam filling.

In fact, we bet some might call it a terrific Thanksgiving treat.

Cranberry Cake

Active Work Time: 40 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 2 hours

3/4 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

Grated zest of 2 oranges

1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped

1 cup chopped dates

1 cup walnuts, finely chopped

Butter for greasing

Whipped cream for serving, optional

* Cream shortening and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time.

* Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat alternately with buttermilk into creamed mixture on low speed, 2 minutes. Beat in orange zest. Stir in cranberries, dates and walnuts.

* Pour batter into greased 10-inch tube or bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour. (Cake is best if stored in airtight container for 24 hours for flavors to develop.) Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

8 to 10 servings. Each of 10 servings: 463 calories; 142 mg sodium; 43 mg cholesterol; 24 grams fat; 58 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 1.14 grams fiber.

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Platter and napkin from Salutations Home, Pasadena and Brentwood.