fennel & pomegranate salad

Last week I posted a photograph of our pomegranate tree on Facebook. I post a lot of stuff on Facebook. Photos, links, my own articles. But that photo of a pomegranate got more and faster comments and likes than almost anything I’ve ever posted. 

What’s up with that?

One of the comments was from my friend Sara May, who said she often makes a fennel pomegranate salad. Sounded good to me, especially since I mostly just eat the jewel-like fruit seeds straight out of the leathery skin.

Even though I asked Sarah May to provide a recipe, she never checked back in. So I had to wing it. But with two of my favorite ingredients – fresh from my own garden – how wrong could I go?

 
Fennel & Pomegranate Salad

Two large bulbs of fennel
Seeds from one pomegranate *
2 tablespoons good quality balsamic vinegar**
2 tsp red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper

Take off the outer layers of the fennel bulb and cut it length wise. Slice into very thin slices, lengthwise. Arrange on serving plate.
Scatter with pomegranate seeds.

Mix all the ingredients*** for the dressing well. Then drizzle on top of salad, finishing with salt and pepper to taste.

*They are actually seed casings, called Arils. And there are tons of videos on Youtube telling you the best way to get those little things out. Pick the way that works best for you.

**I’ve been using Sesto Senso lately, which I discovered at the Taste food fair in Florence last spring. I highly recommend it.

***I would probably have used pomegranate molasses if I had some, but we were in Todi and the bottle back in Rome.