february is feeling fine
Recipe: pomegranate, orange, and jicama salad
We just got tickets for a performance I cannot wait to see. I am giddy. Giddy. And I just rearranged my pantry closets. More giddy.
Thanks to those of you who have commented on the Kyocera ceramic knife giveaway so far. I do read each one and have cooed more than one “awwwww” or chuckled out loud at several answers. These are great and I’m really pleased that so many of you can be in a Good Place. A couple of commenters were caught up in my spam filter which is set to *paranoid*, but not to worry as I do retrieve legitimate comments. For those of you who have commented multiple times, you will be counted once (that PhD is good for something… I can actually count).
Now that my pal has received this package in the mail, I can post a picture of what I made for her. It’s a relatively simple pattern, but I think it is especially gorgeous with any Manos del Uruguay wool (especially the multis).
i could only part ways with it because i can’t wear wool… and because she’s awesome
We recently spent a day at Vail – and it was awesome. Not many crowds (well, the bowls and upper mountains got crowded toward afternoon), long steep runs, good snow, beautiful scenery, express lifts, all made for a very good day of tele with my sweetheart.
jeremy gets a warm up run
the surrounds are breathtaking
the last run of the day
It’s easy to forget that Vail is an international destination, although I think I can relate to those who come to Vail for vacation more than I could ever relate to those who went to Williamsburg, Virginia – where I grew up. People I met would always tell me, “We loved going to Williamsburg for our family summer vacation!” and my reaction was always a bewildered and suspicious “why?” That’s a local teenager for you.
My recipes are piling up and I thought I should get back to a more healthy and typical dish that we serve around here. I know a lot of the foods on urb can be of the ass-widening variety. We don’t actually consume all of them (wait until you see what we sent to our neighbors this weekend) and one of the reasons I love small servings is because I can sample a recipe without making and eating a full blown batch. We had been making this salad quite often while pomegranates were in season. Just when I thought to blog it, I went into town and discovered that there was not a single pomegranate to be found anywhere. That’s what I get for being asleep at the wheel. But then a few weeks later, I was in Denver with Manisha and Kitt at H Mart where I found a pile of ginormous pomegranates and quickly loaded my cart with several.
i’d like to thank persephone for eating those pomegranate seeds and giving us ski season
When I was a little kid, I had serious issues with pomegranates. I didn’t know you could eat the seeds and so I spent many a countless hour chewing the fruit around the seed until it was clean and then spitting the seed out. It wasn’t until one day while I was trying to sell the fruit in the refrigerator to my family from a bookshelf set across the doorway of my room, that my sister informed me that 1) I was an idiot and 2) you can eat the seeds.
greens, oranges, jicama
I love a good salad. It can really wake me up and make me feel alert. One of my favorite ways to prepare salads is with fruit. I didn’t think this was odd until one summer in Argentina when I made dinner in camp for the field team. One of our Argentine colleagues kept marveling at the fruit in the salad – that and the fact that I was from the United States, but CHINESE. Almost everyone I met in Argentina had trouble getting their heads around that concept: that I was Chinese, but not from China… and I guess the fruit in a salad to a lesser extent. Years later, that same colleague refers to me as the Chinese girl who puts fruit in the salad. Alright man, whatevs.
peel the jicama
The assembly is simple. Fill a bowl with your choice of greens, supreme a juicy, sweet orange, sprinkle matchsticks of jicama, and then squeeze the skeleton of the supremed orange over the salad. I really dislike heavy dressings because they mask the subtle flavors.
use up all of that precious juice
Often, I don’t even bother drizzling any oil over the salad and enjoy it with just the juice of the orange. However, if I entertain, I make a dressing of mostly fresh orange juice, a little sugar, salt, pepper, oil (vegetable or olive), and perhaps a dash of red wine vinegar. I’ll top the salad off with a generous sprinkle of pomegranate seeds which look like jewels or tiny glass ornaments.
more pomegranate, more
This salad is juicy and crunchy, tart and sweet, and very good for you. It brightens a dinner table and freshens any meal, or it can make a great meal on its own. We’re down to our last pomegranate.
a colorful mix
Pomegranate, Orange, and Jicama Salad
[print recipe]
2-3 oz. salad greens per person, washed and dried
1 orange per person, supremed
1/4 cup jicama per person, cut into matchsticks
2-3 tbsps pomegranate seeds per person
dressing (optional)
dressing
1 orange, juice of
1/2 tsp sugar (to taste)
pinch of salt
ground pepper
dash of red wine or cider vinegar
1/8 cup canola or olive oil (I don’t tend to use much, but use what works for you)
To make the dressing: Combine all ingredients in a bowl except for the oil. Whisk together and slowly drizzle the oil into the bowl in a thin, steady stream until desired consistency is reached.
Assemble the salad: You can toss the ingredients with the dressing in a bowl or you can toss the jicama and greens together with the dressing and arrange the orange slices and pomegranate seeds on top. If not making the dressing, then you can squeeze the juice of the remnants of the supremed orange over the salad and drizzle a little canola or olive oil on top.
February 7th, 2009 at 11:37 pm
Jicama is sometimes hard to find around here. It is one of the few things I miss about Arizona. It’s a great looking salad with very vibrant colors.
February 8th, 2009 at 12:50 am
Your photos are gorgeous! They make me wish I could push through the monitor and grab me some salad! ;)
February 8th, 2009 at 2:14 am
Great salad, I made a very similar one, except I’ve never used jicama (note to self, must try). I cracked up at the “bewildered and suspicious.. why?” I’m from Russia, though I live in LA, and I still think it’s really weird when people go on vacation there – why??? You can get real Russian food and vodka here, you know… :)
February 8th, 2009 at 2:27 am
What a colorful and tasty looking salad! Perfect in order to be healthy…
These landscapes are stunning! I always enjoy all your nature pictures.
Cheers,
Rosa
February 8th, 2009 at 3:31 am
Such a cute salad! It looks so happy!
February 8th, 2009 at 5:41 am
that is beautiful! i am growing to love salads and have recently discovered that putting fruit in them adds a lovely little pop (of flavour, colour, etc). i am heartbroken about the lack of poms around here these days. they were a fabulous addition to many of my meals throughout december.
February 8th, 2009 at 7:13 am
When I went to Singapore last month, I had on multiple occasions a soft spring roll-type dish called popiah. And inside it was a slightly sweet and remarkably refreshing marinated vegetable. All my relatives (including my Americanized mother) only knew it by its Cantonese name: bangkwang. Determined to find out what this was called and how to obtain it in America, I interrogated the hawkers (scary thing to do without much knowledge of their dialect) and finally, finally found out that it was jicama! Now I’m using it in everything and am excited to try this. I agree about the heavy dressings; the freshness of the ingredients is what should come out in a salad.
February 8th, 2009 at 7:27 am
It just occurred to me that I’ve never used jicama at home. I’ll be making this salad now!
February 8th, 2009 at 7:31 am
I am all about fruit in my salad – my favorite is pears and craisins. Yum.
February 8th, 2009 at 8:26 am
Yum! That looks heavenly. I only really started to like salads when I started learning you could put fruit in them. Growing up in the midwest, it was iceberg and tomato wedges with thousand island and that never really did it for me. Baby spinach or field greens with some fruit and a little goat cheese? Heaven! nom nom nom…. Yay for skiing with your sweetie!
February 8th, 2009 at 9:12 am
Haha, pomegranates are one of those things all Persian people eat from the beginning too and like you I didn’t know you could eat the seeds when I was little so it was rather time-consuming to eat one. I could not get by for more than 2 days without salad and I can just imagine how delish this one tastes. And I love Vail although our house over there is at Beaver Creek so that’s where we usually ski, but not this year because of the belly dweller. Btw, I didn’t comment on the Kyocera knife because I have one (that I don’t use at all right now since being pregnant is a major cause of clumsiness) and wouldn’t want to deprive someone else of the joy of having one, but so many things make me happy that I’d also have probably used all the space available on your server.
February 8th, 2009 at 9:32 am
It took me a long time to figure out what to do with a pomegranate too. Now, I can’t get enough of them! I’m a huge fan of fruit (and nuts) in salads. Oranges, apples, berries- you name it. This salad is just the kind that I love. Simple, fruity and fresh, with beautiful, vibrant color!
February 8th, 2009 at 9:44 am
Wow…that is a colorful salad! I also used to eat jicama all the time as a kid in TX but I haven’t had it in such a long time. It has such a good crunch. I will have to see if I can track some down.
February 8th, 2009 at 10:05 am
What a nice salad.. very colorful and healthy. I love the combination!
February 8th, 2009 at 10:11 am
i make this often too. i love your photography, you have a wonderful wit and blog, very enjoyable~
February 8th, 2009 at 10:28 am
My favorite salad mainly consists of baby spinach, sliced strawberries, warm soy sausage, shredded cheddar, and baby carrottes. Everyone thinks I’m insane, but it’s delicious!
February 8th, 2009 at 11:46 am
And you knit, too! Manos is amazing stuff.
I think I have to make that salad immediately if not sooner to stave off the Februaryness of southern New York State (those are the brightest colors I’ve seen in months).
February 8th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
Jicama, finely shredded, is also a great addition to coleslaw. If it (the jicama) is particularly juicy, pat it dry. I also use a little orange zest in coleslaw, not enough to make it taste like oranges, but enough to perk it up a bit without using too much salt. Happy Sunday everyone!!!
February 8th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
First of all, you are killing me with the photos of Vail… that’s where C and I spent our first date. I know I tell you this every time but I love to come here so I can see a bit of Colorado. Also, regarding the small recipes, I do the same thing at home. I test and test small quantities so I don’t waste and especially, over eat! what a colorful salad!
February 8th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Thats a brilliant looking salad! I have to say they have a lot different/tropical vegetables here in Sweden but I have never seen Jicama before, let’s see if I just overlooked it or they just dont have it.
oh and what kind of stitch did you used for your knitting work? It looks lovely
February 8th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
My partner still takes great pleasure in teasing me about the fact that I never ate whole pomegranate seeds until I met him. Glad to know I’m not the only one!
February 8th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
What a pretty salad!
February 8th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Jenzie, that is a beautiful piece of work! I’m envious. Knitting, I tried years ago, but never got the hang of casting on and casting off. I promised myself that I would learn in this lifetime, then I can practice getting good at it in my next eight.
The poms are truly a gift from heaven. My youngest would tell you that along side the blessed cranberry, the pom is a favored fruit. (I love to use the nectar with balsamic vinegar as a finale to a pot roast…yum!).
The salad is a beauty and once again my keyboard is messed with drool. Such is my life of perusing your site.
;)
February 8th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Pomegranates are probably my favorite fruit right now, which is sad because the season is passing, and it’s hard to find the whole fruit. I got addicted while raiding a ginormous display at the supermarket a couple months ago, and discovered that pomegranates in salad act much like pine nuts for me…if I put in the pom seeds, I’ll wolf down that damn salad as fast as I can searching for every last seed, burgers and pizza be damned. Plus they look like little jewels, and that always impresses guests. Go pomegranate!
February 8th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
Hi Jen. I’m new to your site, but love it already. Gorgeous pictures, lovely writing, and some fantastic looking recipes. What more could a girl want?
February 8th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
OMG! This looks delish! I can’t wait to try it. I have eaten, but never worked with/used Jicama at home. I will have to Google what the heck to do to prep it! I love to learn new things!
February 8th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
I have made your citrus salad on a few occasions! Now with the sprinkling of pomegrate, this looks even better! But I have to google what ‘jicama’ is…
I assume that is a scarf. It is gorgeous!!
February 8th, 2009 at 7:38 pm
i had to chuckle at the mention of you being from the u.s., but chinese and not from china. whenever people learn (after asking my favorite question ever, “what are you?” wtf man!?) that i am korean they always ask if i am a u.s. citizen or even better if i am legal. um…yes. those same people often comment on how much like i valley girl i speak (which, i try, try not to do…but sometimes it just sneaks in there). talk to me first, think, then open your mouth…that is what i wish i could say, but usually i am too weak-sauce for that.
oh, and the wool up there is gorgeous…i have tried to crochet and knit and have failed miserably at both…i did gain some sweet nubbly little potholders out of my endeavors and a nice wonky scarf too.
February 8th, 2009 at 8:46 pm
You knit, too? *tear* You really are lovely. Hehe. Another lovely recipe, I’ll be delighted to make it sometime.
February 9th, 2009 at 12:19 am
No, that’s jewelry on a salad! I love it! We are like you guys with small plates and small servings, except for your soups that we eat in industrial quantities!! Slurp!
February 9th, 2009 at 2:53 am
The scarf, the snow, the SALAD. You captured three “s” things of absolute beauty. Am I the only freak that had no idea that you can eat the fruit and not just the seeds?! I’d always heard that the fruit is too bitter to eat.
I laughed at the “Chinese but not from China” comment as well, because my “favorite” question directed towards Asian Americans / Canadians: “Where are you from?” often followed up with the even more ridiculous, “No, where are you REALLY from?” I had a customer at the sushi place I used to work at say, “You speak amazing English!” … AFTER he had asked these questions and I had informed him that I had spent my entire life in Southern California. ahh. It’s not that mind boggling, people.
February 9th, 2009 at 6:07 am
I love your pictures! I especially love that scarf, it happens to be one of my favorite combinations of colors. I went through (and still am in) a phase where I only used similar colors when weaving back in college.
February 9th, 2009 at 8:23 am
This salad looks amazing!
I’ll be in beaver creek next month! I have never been skiing and I am totally stoked. I live in Florida so seeing snow is a rare occurrence. When we planned the trip I thought of you! Oh, Jen lives in CO. Jen LOVES to ski!
February 9th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
Oh! You made the My So Called Scarf! I have that listed in my ravelry queue. It looks great in the manos~ I’m a beginner knitter and mostly crochet. I think I’ll try that one next.
I know what you mean about the whole Chinese but not from China thing. I’m living in Chile now. I’ve been here for 6 months. People seem to be confused by the whole “I’m a Korean but from America” thing too. The salad looks amazing btw. :D
February 10th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
BWAHAHAHA! Okaaay… As for me I can’t really enjoy a salad if it has no sweet element (usually fruit, sometimes honey) in it. But I haven’t ever eaten a Pom before. I should really get some here while they’re cheap (I mean, compared to its price in Manila), huh? I should probably bring my ass-widening to a halt and make a decent salad one of these days… But now I just miss my perfect Philippine mangoes!
Nice form, Jeremy! (Heh, like I know!)
February 10th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
I have always been scared of fruit in green salad, but as I *cough* mature *cough* (OK, not really) I’m getting more tolerant. Mostly because every time fruit shows up in my salad it’s delicious. (but someone else always makes it) Your salad is beautiful – I’m thinking it might be time to take the plunge and (yikes) put fruit in the salad myself :)
February 12th, 2009 at 9:47 am
Peabody – I love the stuff, so crunchy and sweet and good for you :)
Kathy – thank you!
Irene – ha ha, that’s so funny. I guess we sometimes take for granted what we are familiar with? Although I totally understand why people come to Colorado.
Rosa – thank you, sweetie.
Marija – it’s a very happy salad.
Haya – I love pomegranate season. Makes the transition of seasons easier :)
Chris – Oooh, I’ve never heard of it like that before. How awesome. Sounds delicious.
Lauren – mmmm!
Charlane – sounds like a great combo.
Mollie – I like the free form interpretation on salads (with fruit). I mean, a tomato is fruit too, right? Well, legally I think it was deemed a vegetable, but biologically we all know otherwise ;)
Hilda – congrats on your little one. I hope you teach him/her to eat pomegranates properly and early :)
Susan – Hello my dear. I hope your ankle is healing up quickly. We are sooo in the same salad boat!
Whitney – I think jicama is easy to forget about (I go for months and then see it in the store at random and think – I need to eat some jicama!)
MCH – thanks.
Jain – thank you!
Panya – that sounds lovely and I think you’re perfectly sane :)
Holly – don’t you love it? If I weren’t allergic to wool I’d buy tons of skeins and just roll in it. ha ha ha. Oh, you’re in southern NY? Hang in there, the sun will emerge in… three months.
Liz – great suggestion! thanks :)
Aran – how sweet! That’s a great place for a first date (as long as no one is teaching the other how to ski for the first time). Bummer that we did not overlap and discover one another while you were in CO :( Yes, the overeating is what scares me!
Annemarie – I hope you can find some jicama there, but it might be tough to do… It’s called “My So Called Scarf” and you can find the pattern here: http://www.sheepinthecity.prettyposies.com/archives/000079.html
Katharine – hee hee!
Asianmommy – thank you.
Margie – thanks. The recipient loved it too. It’s good to make healthy foods look delicious too, right?
Emmy – I know, I hate that the season ends at all :( And yes, the reason I load my salads with fruit is because it helps encourage me to eat more greens!
Eesh – thank you.
Holly – it’s easy. Just peel off the skin (like you cut away the rind from a melon) then slice and eat.
Mrs. E – oh sweetie, I hope you can find jicama there.
Cindy – it’s funny how we in the US are like “of course I’m from the states!” but then outside – especially in like south america, people are totally baffled.
Mary – awww, thanks ;)
Tartelette – industrial?! You always make me laugh. Too bad you aren’t my neighbor so I could have you and B over for Chinese food when I get the itch to make some.
Steph – Oh no, I meant that I ate the seed (the red fruit) but the tiny white pit in the middle of each seed – I used to chew the fruit around it and spit out the seed. Turns out, it’s all edible (not the cream colored foamy exterior though – good lord, don’t eat that!) I love your sushi story. Classic.
Lindsey – that’s so awesome that you weave. Nice.
Sarah – Ooh, have fun. BC is gorgeous – very bougie fancy ;)
Paula – I’m just past beginner and that pattern is really fun when you get the hang of it. Be sure to hop over to Argentina – the food there rocks!!
Mark – I miss those perfect Philippine mangoes too and I’ve never had one! :(
Karyn – take the plunge, babe. You will love it!
April 5th, 2010 at 11:37 pm
I love this salad so much. Its one of your recipes that every time I revisit, it makes me feel WONDERFUL