BEET AND POMEGRANATE SALAD CAN BE TASTY TREAT
A little sweet, a little savoury, dish offers textural contrast and is pleasing to the eyes
With the festive season upon us, it’s time to think about what platters of delicious things you want to serve to your guests.
There is a roast beast of some sort which typically is the star attraction (turkey, goose, ham, prime rib come to mind immediately), with the stuffing and gravy falling in line behind.
If the cook knows what to do with mashed potatoes (Yukon Gold, plenty of butter, cream, roasted garlic, finely chopped chives, just enough salt), then you’ll have the carb lovers asking for seconds.
In all of my years of eating (45 and counting) I’ve never heard anyone rave about the mashed turnip or boiled carrots.
Often, they are scooted over to the side of the plate, along with the mushy green orbs from hell (a.k.a. Brussels sprouts) and fed to the dog under the table.
But, vegetables don’t have to be cast aside over the holidays; they just can’t be overcooked.
Instead of boiling the carrots or broccoli to one inch of their existence, toss them in olive oil and roast them until tender.
For the former, add some honey and to the latter, add a good amount of Parmesan. Be sure to season well with salt and pepper. Same goes with the Brussels sprouts. Toss them in olive oil and roast until golden. Scoop them into a bowl and add more olive oil, lemon juice, chopped cooked bacon, some toasted nuts and pomegranate seeds. Not only will they look pretty, but they’ll be gobbled up in no time.
Salads are really where the vegetables can shine. We’re all familiar with the typical bowl of greens topped with tomatoes, cucumbers and shredded carrots. It gets the job done but no one will remember it.
The ingredients that are really going to taste fantastic are those that are in season, like root vegetables, squash and hearty greens such as kale. If you google kale slaw with squash and pomegranate, there are all sorts of pretty entries that put the typical green salad to shame.
To shake things up even more, let the humble beet be the star of the sideboard.
This salad was inspired by Julia Turshen and her latest cookbook Now and Again (Chronicle Books, 2018). The salad is a little sweet, a little savoury, with plenty of textural contrast and oh boy, is it pleasing to the eye. I love how the beets and dressing can be prepared up to three days ahead of time, so there’s no stress on the day of feasting, other than having to drizzle on the dressing and scatter some pomegranate seeds.
Be sure to use a pretty platter to serve up the beets. It’s a lovely salad to look at, especially when the dressing bleeds into the deep purple of the beets.
The poppy seeds and pomegranate add a little crunch to satisfy those of us who like texture and the verdant green onion brings it all home. Not everyone is a fan of cutting open a pomegranate and retrieving the seeds.
I find it therapeutic, especially if Wham’s Last Christmas is playing on the stereo.
I don’t like cutting the pomegranate in half and whacking it with a wooden spoon.
I suppose if you need to take out your frustrations, that’s a good place to start, but I like to score the sides and cut off the knobby bit at the top. Pull it apart and tear away the membranes and pick out the seeds.
In reality, it only takes about five minutes and there are worse things to do with five minutes in a day. Be sure to belt out your favourite Christmas carol while you’re at it.