Empty nesters, at last, as we finally got Quickstep into his own apartment. Without the perceived need to fix the children large amounts of protein, Baby Lady and I might start eating more salads. We love nice salads with fresh greens and homemade vinaigrettes, especially when the greens come out of our garden.
I talk periodically about our little plot of earth that we so enjoy. Well, this wonderful salad has 2 homegrown ingredients. You see, when we first started the garden we planted arugula. I like the sweet, bitter peppery notes of fresh arugula and it’s more versatile than people imagine (check out our post on Herb Crusted Salmon with Arugula Citrus Pistou and Grape Tomatoes). It grew throughout the summer and into the fall and winter. When it got straggly, I pulled it. The next spring, and each succeeding year for the past 3 years, it came back. As such, we have a luscious, dense, green patch of arugula that we use in a variety of different ways. We simply cannot eat it fast enough.
The other homegrown ingredient is the pomegranate. In a prior post, Whole Fillet of Salmon with Pomegranate Glaze, I discussed buying Baby Lady a pomegranate tree. Last year was the first year we got fruit and we were thrilled this year to see it absolutely covered in blooms. It has 22 pomegranates on it now that look like Christmas ornaments.
It would have more but I have some sneaking, pilfering neighbor somewhere who thinks it’s appropriate to come onto my property and abscond with my precious little red beauties without bothering to ask. GRRRRR It’s a shame, too, because they weren’t ripe yet. 😦 Interestingly, when it’s close to the time to harvest and it rains, the pomegranates fill up with water and the skin splits.
See the pretty little red seeds tucked in there? We really love them. Once the pomegranate skin splits like that, you need to take it off the tree because insects and birds will get the fruit which is no bueno.
This being the first fruit harvested this year and the plethora of fresh arugula in the garden, a salad was in order for dinner. So, this is what we did.
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb shrimp, 21-25 count, peeled and deveined
- 1 Tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 1/2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1-1/2 Tbsp aged balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 freshly ground pepper
- 9 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 cups garden fresh arugula, rinsed well and thick stems removed
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 1/2 cup romaine lettuce
- 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
- 2/3 cup pomegranate seeds
- 1/2 cup French feta cheese
- 2 Tbsp shallots, minced
Instruction
Season and roast shrimp in a preheated 350 F oven for 4 – 5 minutes until just done.
Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.
Add the vinegar, salt and oil to a blender and blend away.
Mix the greens together and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Divide equally between to plates.
Sprinkle pomegranate seeds on top of greens.
Next, sprinkle feta cheese on top
Now add the shrimp, 6 pieces per plate
Drizzle with vinaigrette, to taste
Finish with toasted, chopped walnuts
and minced shallots
Serve & enjoy!
REMCooks 
Just beautiful! Your neighbor is stealing your pomegranates?! What? Well, I guess it’s not hard to believe. . our gardeners used to take our peaches without asking. . so I said something to them one day! Your tree is beautiful!
Hi, Alice. Thanks for your nice compliment and the tweetout. I don’t know if it’s my neighbor but it’s someone who lives/works in the neighborhood. Whoever it is I wish they would stop.
The first shot of the pomegranate tree looks like you used photoshop to put those beauties in there. Despite my youthful orchard robbing (over 40 years ago), I would take the shotgun to anybody robbing such wonderful fruits. Beautiful looking salad. I am envious of your lovely weather. We are heading into winter in Ireland and it’s not very nice….
Best,
Conor
Hi, Conor. Thanks for your very nice compliment and sympathy for those dastardly fruit snatchers! We’re supposed to be in Fall right now but someone forgot to tell Mother Nature because we have been in the 80s and 90s for quite some time now. It’s hard to get in the mood for soups and fall treats when you’re still running around in shorts and polo shirts. 😮
Beautiful pomegranate tree! Do you mostly eat them raw or cook with them? I’ve only even eaten them raw, but would like to experiment with them in cooked dishes this year.
Thank you. We love it. 🙂 We use the pomegranates both raw and cooked. Check out these posts for ideas on how to use the juice for a glaze and a sauce.
https://remcooks.com/2012/04/14/roasted-brined-cornish-game-hens-with-pomegranate-sauce/
https://remcooks.com/2012/02/06/whole-salmon-with-pomegranate-glaze-2/
Sometime this Fall, I will post a recipe for pomegranate molasses. You can also use the juice in cocktails.
This blog is such a wonderful part of my day! I truly enjoy torturing my self with (seeing) the pictures of your food. 🙂
Adieu, scribbler
You are always so kind in your comments. Thank you so much. 🙂
As always, my pleasure 🙂
Adieu, scribbler
I have a salad that begins a bit like yours.. I love to serve it at Christmas because of the pretty red and green colors! I think I would have to install a motion detector with a siren that went off to protect that lovely pomegranate tree!! How adorable is that!!! I don’t think I’ve ever seen even a photo of one before! Lucky you!!
Thank you for your nice compliment. We love this little tree and the fruit we get from it. We are going to put in a gate across the driveway and fence on the side. It’s a real shame and a significant expense. Too bad people are the way they are.
So true!
this looks delicious. very nice presentation:)
Thank you for your nice compliment. 🙂
I probably always say this, but beautiful spring flavours as per usual. Seafood and Pomengranate have an amazing affinity and cheese and fruit so score all round! As for not so kind neighbours snaffling your jewels of fruit I say (Karma) to them…
Thanks, Alice. 🙂
When we first started growing arugula, we didn’t care for it that much, but now we both love it…acquired taste. And our little 1 year old pomegranate tree has a single fruit on it (after a breathtaking display of many large flowers) but it’s kinda of brownish instead of red. Will it turn red or is it done?
Beautiful salad!!
Hi, Patty. Thanks for the very nice compliment.
I’m really surprised you got fruit on your 1 year old tree. We didn’t get fruit for 3 years although it blossomed every year and you are right about the breathtaking display. It is a really pretty tree and we absolutely love the way the fruit looks like Christmas ornaments hanging on it. If the fruit is turning brown and is becoming soft, it is bad. If it is soft, you may want to take it off the tree and see if any of the seeds are edible. It is a very interesting fruit. When the seeds are not fully developed, they are clear to light red and the taste is sweeter. The tart flavor develops when the seeds turn dark red similar to garnet color. It’s rather fascinating. Although my fruit looks ripe, it won’t be fully ripe for another 3 weeks. Typically, in DFW, the fruit doesn’t ripen until the latter part of October, first part of November.
I love the tree! We want to plant fruit trees but I’m afraid we’d get ours pilfered too.
Thanks. 🙂 You should see it when it blooms. It is full of beautiful, fiery, redish-orange blossoms. It is absolutely gorgeous. That it produces one of my favorite fruits makes it extra special! Even with pilfering neighbors, we will still get at least a dozen fruit from it this year. I’ve already harvested 6 as of yesterday and there are 10 more on the tree, although they are not ripe yet.
Oh lovely, I’ve never seen the flower before.
My kind of salad! Your tree is lovely 🙂
Thanks. 🙂