POMEGRANATE
How do you get inside a pomegranate? Focus on the ridges that span from blossom end to stem end. There are usually five or six, depending on the fruit. These ridges demark interior segments that group the seeds (arils) into manageable clusters. Remove the blossom end with a knife, being careful not to cut too much into the fruit which will slice the top-most seeds and leak juice. From there, score down along each ridge, cutting just through the tough outer skin from blossom to stem.
Working over a medium-sized bowl, break the fruit into chunks then separate the seeds from the white membrane with a gentle rub of your thumb or fingers—they hold on by the tiniest little tip so it doesn’t take much to free them. (If you’re gentle and keep the arils whole, you won’t get much juice on your hands; a simple hand washing when you’re done will prevent the juice from staining your fingertips or nails.) Once the seeds are removed, fish out any stray white bits then store the seeds in a jar for easy access. Keep refrigerated and use within three or four days.
Enjoy on yogurt in the morning, in salads like spinach and avocado with a Champagne vinaigrette, or sprinkled over a platter of shaved fennel and apple. Pomegranate seeds make a beautiful addition to a cheese board or fruit salad, and my kids loved them for school lunches and snacks.
FENNEL
You may be able to find some locally grown fennel before the weather gets really cold. Pay a visit to Chance Farm at the Bozeman Winter Farmers’ Market, and if you see it, buy it. The bulbs keep at least a week refrigerated, giving you plenty of time to figure out what to make with it. Fennel has a slight anise flavor and can be served raw or cooked. As it cooks, fennel caramelizes and develops a tender texture; it tastes great with lamb, pork, or seafood.
Raw fennel is best sliced very thinly across the grain; use the white bulb and tender green stems. Think apple-fennel slaw to serve with fish, or fennel as a bed of green under sliced oranges and cooked beets (drizzled with a little crème fraîche–lemon dressing and sprinkled with toasted hazelnuts). Save the fronds and scatter them over whatever you make—they are as delicious as they are beautiful.
FARRO
Montana-grown farro by Timeless Natural Food is made from organically grown emmer that is semi-pearled, meaning that some of the hard bran has been removed, which reduces cooking time compared with whole wheat berries. Farro absorbs moisture as it cooks, much like rice, so cook it with broth and your favorite flavors of the season. One of my favorite winter combinations is an Italian dish I learned from Joyce Goldstein of Square One in San Francisco: farro with roasted butternut squash cubes, sage, and chestnuts. View the recipe at ripefoodandwine.com/2022/01/29/farro-with-chestnuts-and-butternut-squash.
