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Pomegranates add zing to this veggie

Recipe: Ruby roasted Brussels sprouts topped with pomegranate molasses

Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Debbie Arrington PUBLISHED DEC 8, 2019

Pomegranate arils dress up Brussels sprouts. (Photo: Debbie Arrington)

This side dish was made for the holidays; the fresh pomegranate arils among the roasted Brussels sprouts look like little glistening rubies. The red and green combo is sure to be a conversation starter.

Most of our Brussels sprouts this time of year come from somewhere other than Sacramento, where this vegetable is notoriously hard to grow. As a cool season vegetable, the sprouts are common in stores and farmers market.

Here the dish is garnished with walnuts, which are optional.

Pomegranates are at their peak availability -- especially if you have a tree. Since I made the pomegranate molasses last month, I've been watching for new ways to use it. This combination of sprouts, pomegranate and walnuts was suggested by a recent recipe in the New York Times.

This method is different from the Times' whole-roasted sheet-pan directions. This recipe also uses more pomegranate plus balsamic vinegar. The fruit's distinctive sweet-tart flavor contrasts nicely with the sprouts' nuttiness. (The Times added walnuts for extra crunch.)

The deep red pomegranate molasses adds more zing and color; a little makes a big impact.

Ruby roasted Brussels sprouts
Adapted from the New York Times

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

Pomegranate and Brussels sprouts: Who knew?

1 pound Brussels sprouts, washed, trimmed and quartered
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, preferably pomegranate
Salt and pepper to taste
Arils (seed pods) from one-half pomegranate, about 1/3 cup
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place Brussels sprouts in a 9-inch square baking dish. Drizzle sprouts with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, toss to coat. Salt and pepper to taste, then toss again.

Roast sprouts in 350-degree oven for 40 minutes (30 minutes if quarters are small), turning once or twice.

Meanwhile, seed the half pomegranate; set aside the arils.

When the sprouts are fork tender, remove from oven. Add pomegranate arils, toss gently. Drizzle pomegranate molasses over top. Sprinkle chopped walnuts on top, if desired. Serve warm.

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RECIPE

A recipe for preparing delicious meals from the bounty of the garden.

Keywords:

recipes gardening Sacramento cooking backyard produce produce management pomegranates Brussels sprouts fall fruit winter fruit

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Garden Checklist for week of July 21

Your garden needs you!

* Keep your vegetable garden watered, mulched and weeded. Water before 8 a.m. to reduce the chance of fungal infection and to conserve moisture.

* Feed vegetable plants bone meal, rock phosphate or other fertilizers high in phosphate to stimulate more blooms and fruiting. (But wait until daily high temperatures drop out of the 100s.)

* Don’t let tomatoes wilt or dry out completely. Give tomatoes a deep watering two to three times a week.

* Harvest vegetables promptly to encourage plants to produce more. Squash especially tends to grow rapidly in hot weather. Keep an eye on zucchini.

* Pinch back chrysanthemums for bushy plants and more flowers in September.

* Remove spent flowers from roses, daylilies and other bloomers as they finish flowering.

* Pinch off blooms from basil so the plant will grow more leaves.

* Cut back lavender after flowering to promote a second bloom.

* It's not too late to add a splash of color. Plant petunias, snapdragons, zinnias and marigolds.

* From seed, plant corn, pumpkins, radishes, winter squash and sunflowers.

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