This is my first post for 2009 and I would like to wish you all a Happy & Healthy New Year!
My New Year’s Eve was spent at one of favourite eateries in Toronto and I dined, laughed and drank with eleven good friends…right into the wee hours of January 1st.
The dinner was delicious, the company provided laughs (as always) and the memories….priceless. The next day (New Year’s Day) could have been a really rough day but I stuck with a menu that I’m very comfortable with and as always, tested out a few new recipes prior to going “live” with the dishes.
One dish which is symbolic of New Year’s for Greeks, seasonal and of course delicious, was this salad I made of mixed greens with a vinaigrette made of pomegranates.
Pomegranates are a part of Greek New Year’s traditions as many families will smash a pomegranate in front of the home and hopefully disperse alot of seeds over a wide area. The more seeds are dispersed, the better the fortunes for the home.
I first tried this salad for our Christmas Day dinner and although it was delicious, the mere presence of just pomegranate juice leaves the dressing a little runny. I fine tuned the vinaigrette by adding some pomegranate molasses into the mix.
Pomegranate molasses can be found at a Greek or Middle Eastern market and if neither of those shops are near you, one could reduce the pomegranate juice into a thicker syrup.
Everyone at the table loved the simplicity of the dish, it’s easy on the eyes and the contrast of crumbled Feta and pomegranate seeds bejeweling the salad made each forkful of salad a delight.
I don’t have any specific measurements here but I can tell you now that my preferred method of making salad dressings is with a squeeze bottle that looks like those you find at a diner with ketchup or mustard in them. The one I use is opaque so I can easily eyeball the measurements of the vinaigrette ingredients.
Mixed Greens With Feta & Pomegranate Vinaigrette
seasonal mixed greens, washed and pat-dry (salad spinner)
juice of 1 pomegranate
seeds of 1 pomegranate (for garnish)
approx. 2 Tbsp. pomegranate molasses
approx. 1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 small clove of garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
- Cut your pomegranate in half and using a wooden spoon, smack the skin side of each half and place a bowl underneath to catch the falling seeds. Ensure none of the bitter pith falls into the bowl. Place your pomegranate seeds into a blender or food processor and whiz into a liquid. Pass through a strainer and discard the seeds.
- In a squeeze bottle or jar, add the pomegranate juice, the garlic and eyeball how much olive oil you should add. Basic vinaigrette rule is 3 parts oil to 1 part acid (your pomegranate juice is the acid in this instance).
- Add some salt, pepper and the Dijon mustard and shake to emulsify. If the vinaigrette is too runny for your liking, add some pomegranate molasses, shake and again taste and adjust seasoning.
- Place your salad in a large bowl and squirt some pomegranate vinaigrette into the bowl and gently toss the salad until fully coated.
- Divide among the plates, squirt some more vinaigrette, sprinkle some crumbled Feta and some pomegranate seeds for garnish.
PS. Lydia of the Perfect Pantry just wrote a wonderful article on Pomegranate Molasses, pomegranates and some background. There’s even a recipe to make your own!
If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.blogspot.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author. © 2007-2009 Peter Minakis
47 Responses
Love the look of this salad!!! I so love pomegranate in anything. I think the added molasses would make this incredible!
Love your traditions :) This looks amazing!
Happy NY!
You are a real Greek! What if you live abroad. I like your recipes and your style to present them. Have an nice and prosperous New Year.
I’ll have to try combining pomegranate and feta :) I love them separately so maybe the mix
This looks really beautiful. The combination is intriguing and I always love to learn of others traditions. May you be prosperous and healthy in the new year.
What a refined salad! Happy NY!
Cheers,
Rosa
What a refined salad! Happy NY!
Cheers,
Rosa
What a refined salad! Happy NY!
Cheers,
Rosa
What a refined salad! Happy NY!
Cheers,
Rosa
What a refined salad! Happy NY!
Cheers,
Rosa
What a refined salad! Happy NY!
Cheers,
Rosa
What a refined salad! Happy NY!
Cheers,
Rosa
My mouth was watering seing this salad. I would have loved a plate of that!
Its such a beautiful salad & I imagine it tastes as good as it looks
This is pretty much my favorite salad in the world. I love pomegranate vinaigrette on salads and especially ones with feta. YUM YUM.
This is lovely. Happy New Year to you!
pomegranate is one of my favorite winter fruits. they grow well in hania, and make a great addition to a green leafy salad
a great choice to begin the year
I’ve made so many Green salads with pomegranate lately but never found the time to post about them. I would love to make this vinaigrette but as you know there is no pomegranate juice or molasses yet in Greece.
Now I really like the look of that salad! The added feta too – wow!
I have a bottle of pomegranate molasses and so will give this a go very soon.
PS: For anyone in the UK – Sainsbuy’s sell it in their World food bit!
I am ever so dumb. I love pomegranate. But please…do you eat the whole seed or spit it out once you have bitten it and sucked the juice out of each little thing? I have been spitting them out for 40 years.
I am ever so dumb. I love pomegranate. But please…do you eat the whole seed or spit it out once you have bitten it and sucked the juice out of each little thing? I have been spitting them out for 40 years.
I am ever so dumb. I love pomegranate. But please…do you eat the whole seed or spit it out once you have bitten it and sucked the juice out of each little thing? I have been spitting them out for 40 years.
I am ever so dumb. I love pomegranate. But please…do you eat the whole seed or spit it out once you have bitten it and sucked the juice out of each little thing? I have been spitting them out for 40 years.
I am ever so dumb. I love pomegranate. But please…do you eat the whole seed or spit it out once you have bitten it and sucked the juice out of each little thing? I have been spitting them out for 40 years.
I am ever so dumb. I love pomegranate. But please…do you eat the whole seed or spit it out once you have bitten it and sucked the juice out of each little thing? I have been spitting them out for 40 years.
I am ever so dumb. I love pomegranate. But please…do you eat the whole seed or spit it out once you have bitten it and sucked the juice out of each little thing? I have been spitting them out for 40 years.
This looks so easy Peter and quite delicious! Thanks for sharing!
This is a great start to the new year. I’m craving salads after all the celebratory foods! Interesting about the pomegranates.
I love that you said the pomegranate ‘bejeweled’ the salad because that is exactly what I thought when I looked at the picture. It’s just very festive looking…though being of the mind that you can never get too much of a good thing, I’d add toasted walnuts!
Happy New Year.
Is that a pomegranate tree fruiting indoors? I must try to grow one! Your salad looks divine!
i think 2009 will be the year of the pomegranate, and your vinaigrette sounds stellar. it’s awfully easy on the eyes, too.
It’s definitely that pomegranate time of year again, isn’t it? I think I could use some extra antioxidants after all the holiday booze and sweets. :P
Ivy, in this recipe, one removes the seeds from the fruit, processes in a blender and then strains the seeds, leaving one with juice.
As for Pomegranate molasses, there is a significant Mid-East community there and perhaps you will find some Pom. molasses in their shops?
Greg, yes – that’s a pomegranate tree!
That must had been a good time on the 31st. Love the color of the salad.
Happy New Year, Peter! I have never heard the pomegranate tradition. How interesting. Wishing you a great 2009 with lots of great food!
This salad looks great! Happy New Years!
Peter, this salad looks fab! I love pomegranate in anything especially salads! Cheers!
Happy New Year Peter!! Looking fwd to continue following your blog this year :-) I myself just got back to blogging today, so stopping by yours was a must!! And I am wonderfully surprised with your amazing pomegranate vinagrette!! unique and delicious looking! In my family we mix pomegrante a lot with spinach and feta, often with walnuts too. I love that combination!
Love pomegranates! Have a great 2009!
Ronell
The pomegranate adds a vibrant colour to the dish. I just bought a pomegranate plant =P hope it grows ;p
Thanks for the rundown on pomegranates significance as part of a Greek new year. This salad looks nice and light after the carb/protein overload of the holidays.
That smashing of the pomegranate and dispersing of the seeds sounds like a fun New Year tradition. Hee! I’m kinda tempted to try it. ;)
The salad is simple, but delicious.
Smashing a pomegranate? Must make for some messy new year’s days :) Great tradition though! I love pomegranate in a salad and *love* the idea of pomegranate molasses in the vinaigrette. Yum! And once again, a very happy new year to you Peter.
Beautiful salad, Peter. I’ve been spending time catching up on your site – you’ve done so many great dishes while I’ve been away. Happy New Year and Xronia Polla!!
This salad looks so good! Thanks and Kalles Iortes :)