A Goddess-Fueled Recipe with Pomegranates (Part 2)

The salsa recipe below calls for persimmons, a seasonal fruit from October through December. It seems every year I blink and they’ve left the grocery store. Legend has it, in Homer’s epic tale “The Odyssey,” that lotus persimmons are the fruit on the island of the Lotus Eaters. Consumption of this narcotic fruit made Odysseus’ crew forget their tribulations, losing their motivation to return home to Ithaca. This recipe might not make you forget your tribulations, but it should help you forget that you’re eating bland poultry or fish while in a calorie deficit. This salsa is a refreshing stand alone appetizer paired with blue corn chips. (However, my favorite use of Pomegranate Persimmon Salsa is on last night’s toddler-rejected cod fish, reassembled into tacos.)

Pomegranate Persimmon Salsa

Ingredients:

• 5 Tbsp diced shallots

• 4 Tbsp lemon juice

• 3 Tbsp pomegranate molasses

• 1 1/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 c. pomegranate seeds

• 1 c. diced, peeled persimmon

• 3 Tbsp sliced cilantro leaves

• salt to taste

Directions:

1. Add diced shallots, squeezed lemon juice, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Let sit.

2. Whisk pomegranate molasses. Add extra-virgin olive oil while whisking, slowly adding 1/3c EVOO at a time.

3. Stir in pomegranate seeds, persimmon, and sliced cilantro.

4. Enjoy this antioxidant-rich refreshing salsa!