Pomegranate

When I saw a pomegranate in the grocery store, I thought it would make a great addition to our Christmas salad. Because it's been years since I've had one (I have fond memories of picking out the arils as a special childhood treat), I searched for the best way to get the seeds out. There seem to be two main options. One is to break the pomegranate into sections, submerse them in a bowl of water and pick out the arils. The other way is to cut the fruit in half and then whack out the seeds.The kids helped, and we decided that whacking is the preferable method.

To do this, score the skin of the fruit around the center. If you just slice it in half, you'll have to deal with splattered juice, but you can do that if you want. Scoring and then breaking it in half worked for us. Place one half dome side up in your palm over an empty bowl in the sink (it is a messy project) and whack the top with a heavy wood spoon (or something similar). The arils will just fall out, although it does take some effort. Repeat with the other half.

The pomegranate seeds were the perfect addition to our salad, which also included toasted pecans, craisins, red onion and feta cheese with a lemon vinaigrette.

Citrus Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 tablespoon sugar
1-2 teaspoons poppy seeds

Combine all ingredients.