October · San Diego
Pomegranates
California grows nearly all of the country's pomegranates, and the harvest runs from late September into November. In October they're heavy, cheap by the piece, and in every produce section. By spring, the only ones left are imported.
How to choose it
- Heavy for its size — weight is juice
- Angular and a little lopsided, with flat faces; round ones aren't full yet
- Deep red, leathery skin
- A small dry crack is fine; a soft or damp spot is not
Buy this much: 3. One for the drink, two for scattering. One pomegranate gives about a cup of seeds.
Priced by the piece, so the heaviest one in the bin is the best deal.
During the week
- Over the salad beside the fish in parchment
- On rockfish tacos, in place of salsa
- In the October salad with dates and feta
- On Greek yogurt with chopped dates, for breakfast
On a weekend
Half a pomegranate's seeds in the October salad, beside the seared fish.
One thing worth learning
To seed one without a mess, score around the crown, pull the fruit apart into sections, and work the seeds loose in a bowl of water. The seeds sink and the white pith floats. Skim, drain, done.