Pomegranate Seeds In Salads

As a kid, I loved pomegranates. How could any child not like an edible puzzle? I still get a thrill from pomegranate's beautiful jewel-like seeds and love their tangy mix of sweet and sour with a little crunch mixed in. I decided to use my first pomegranate of the season in a salad yesterday. I used some fresh organic red leaf lettuce, the last few yellow cherry tomatoes from our plants outside, and threw in some toasted pinenuts, then tossed the whole thing with a balsamic vinaigrette. It was very tasty but would have been sublime with the addition of a little thinly sliced red onion and some goat cheese (sadly, we had neither in the house.)

Yesterday's salad whetted my appetite for more salads with pomegranate so I did a little searching and found this recipe on Epicurious (from Gourmet.) I have not actually made this yet but wanted to share it because I think it sounds really good.

Arugula Salad with Pomegranate & Toasted Pecans

Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons aged balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 freshly ground pepper
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium bunches arugula, rinsed well and thick stems removed
• 1/3 cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds, from 1 medium pomegranate

Directions

1. In medium, non-reactive bowl, whisk together vinegars, salt, and pepper.

2. Gradually drizzle in olive oil, whisking until emulsified.

3. Toss arugula with just enough vinaigrette to coat.

4. Sprinkle with pecans and pomegranate seeds and serve.