Rhythm of the seasons

Imagery Estate Winery grapevines facing the farm

Regardless of the recent warm weather, it is fall at the farm.
As Halloween creeps up on us and the sharp golden light
of autumn afternoons remind us that dusk arrives earlier each day,
we harvest the last of the tomatoes, eggplant and basil that is still growing.
But the chefs are beginning to think of fall foods.

This colorful roasted squash salad, with mizuna,
candied walnuts, vanilla vinaigrette
has replaced summer's popular
tomato and watermelon salad at the girl & the fig.

The name pomegranate derives from medieval Latin pōmum "apple" and grānātum "seeded" 

Santa Rosa Press Democrat food writer Michele Anna Jordan reminds us 

"Pomegranates have always been a singular herald of fall."  

And even though recently an "international food company 

planted acres of pomegranates in a way that has shifted the seasons,"

it lifts our spirits to see the red orbs plentiful at the farm this time of year.

We agree with Michele's sentiment when she finds 

pomegranates at farmers markets in October: 

"I enjoy the rhythm of the seasons that I have enjoyed since I was a child, 

when I received my first pomegranate ever on Halloween night.

pomegranate mid September at the farm. 
Interesting etymology fact:
Due to similar shape, the French term "grenade" for pomegranate gave its name to the military grenade. 

 Did you know that pomegranate aril juice provides 16% of an adult's 

daily Vitamin C per 100 ml serving and and is a good source of vitamin B₅ 

(pantothenic acid), potassium and natural phenols, such as ellagitannins and flavonoids?
In addition to these healthful properties, pomegranate juice 
can liven up a party—when sweetened and thickened the juice 
becomes Grenadine syrup—an ingredient in many cocktails!

our pomegranates at the farm now

But how to eat pomegranates? 

"After the pomegranate is opened by scoring it with a knife 

and breaking it open, the arils (seed casings) are separated from the peel 

and internal white pulp membranes. Separating the red arils is easier 

in a bowl of water because the arils sink and the inedible pulp floats. 

Freezing the entire fruit also makes it easier to separate. 

Another very effective way of quickly harvesting the arils is 

to cut the pomegranate in half, score each half of the exterior rind four to six times, 

hold the pomegranate half over a bowl and smack the rind with a large spoon. 

The arils should eject from the pomegranate directly into the bowl, 

leaving only a dozen or more deeply embedded arils to remove."

no need for all that work to get to these arils!

Our chefs are right on track with the current "salad of the season" at the girl & the fig: 

shaved apples, pickled fennel, toasted pepitas, pomegranate-apple vinaigrette.

Here are a few of Michele Anna Jordan's favorite pomegranate recipes.

What do you like to do with pomegranates?