Pomegranate Salad

Gouche painting on map directory pages by me

The first time I ever saw a pomegranate was when I was a kid.  My cousin Kerry was eating one and the information I obtained from her was that you sucked the red jelly off the seed and then spit out the  seed.  This was too much work and trouble for greedy , lazy moi. 

 Nigella Lawson has been waxing lyrical about pomegranates  for years and  I didn’t rise to the bait.  Nope, didn’t even try them. However, In recent times I tried pomegranate, didn't suck off the jelly, just ate the seed and the jelly, and loved it!  This recipe is from Greg and Lucy Malouf from their cookbook about Turkey called Turquoise.  I served this at my Christmas Eve soiree and a few times since.  It is very, very good in taste , texture and colour.  mmm

Green olive, walnut and pomegranate Salad

¼ cup walnuts

½ cup pitted green olives, washed and coarsely chopped

This is a colour pencil drawing by me.  Pomegrates are about colour in my mind.

¼ cup unsalted shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped

½ cup pomegranate seeds ( one pomegranate)

2 small shallots, peeled and finely diced

1 bullet chilli, seeded and finely diced

1 tbsp shredded flat leaf parsley

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp walnut oil

Splash of pomegranate molasses

Juice of ½ a lemon

Sea salt

Finely ground black pepper

Roast walnuts in 180 degree oven 5-10 min, chop coarsely.

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss gently.  Leave to stand for 5 min before serving.