Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot...

It's amazing the traditions surrounding food on New Years.  It seems that cultures across the globe unpack all of their superstitions and place them right on the table.  Here are some interesting ones I've read about lately.

In China (lunar new year, but lumping it in for simplicity's sake), the word for "orange" and "gold" are phonetically similar, so tangerines and oranges are both eaten and prominently displayed.  Long noodles signify long life, and (I love this one) lots of desserts bring a sweet year.

Persians eat pomegranates to signify fertility and abundance.  They're a "superfood," so pick one up on Friday at the store.  There's a great trick to separating the kernels from the pulp:  Break the kernels apart with your hands submerged in a bowl of water.  The kernels sink, the pulp floats.

In many places, from Russia to Ireland, it's simply about quantity.  Want to signify abundance?  Big platters, big portions.  Love it.

Photo via MyRecipes

How about here in the South?  Like in Germany, eat leafy greens, which are the same color as money.  In Germany, it's cabbage, specifically sauerkraut.  In the US, the tradition is collards (which will be in this week's box).  Add some Hoppin' John and cornbread -- symbolizing gold -- and that's the traditional meal.  Just don't make chicken, since that symbolizes your fortune flying away.

Happy New Year to you all, and don't forget to make a sweet cake to bring a sweet 2015.

Photo via I'm At Home Baking

Citrus & Pomegranate Salad

We just got some gorgeous looking pomegranates in this week, so as I was musing over that citrus salad from the Crop Share Spoiler, I thought no, pumpkin no, this need to be a Citrus & Pomegranate Salad.  I'm sure you've seen the pom-everything drinks in stores and heard all about the amazing benefits of pomegranate, but frankly I just think it's gorgeous.  They're like little jewels on your plate.  So snag a pomegranate when you're in this weekend, and really make this fruit salad pop!  And for a great tutorial on how to cut and remove the seeds from this tricky little bugger, check out this great and adorable tutorial.

Citrus & Pomegranate Salad

Ingredients:
2 oranges, peeled, pith removed and segmented
4 tangerines, peeled, pith removed and segmented
(still have grapefruit from last week, throw segments from one of those too!)
Seed of 1 pomegranate (click here to see two easy methods for removing the seeds)
2 tsp fresh mint, rough chopped
2-3 Tbsp local honey
Splash or two of vanilla extract









Arrange citrus on a serving plate and sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds and chopped mint.

In a bowl, whisk together honey and vanilla.  If the dressing seems to thick, cut it with a bit of water.  Then dipping a spoon into the dressing, drizzle it evenly over the entire salad.

For a warm citrus salad, arrange everything on an oven-safe platter and broil on high for a minute or two.