Conquering the pomegranate at Rosh Hashanah

In the traditions of many Jewish holidays, there’s a poetic relationship between the festival’s culinary laws and the season’s foods. While the relationship linking Rosh Hashanah with apples and honey never grows old, the elegant and elusive pomegranate is less acknowledged, though profoundly tied to biblical literature and ancient agriculture.  Pomegranate seeds offer the kind of culinary beauty that cause us to slow down, take note, and absorb the scared spirit of newness.

That being said, they can be a pain to wrangle. 

Here are strategies by Mollie Katzen, one of the best-selling cookbook authors of all-time, to help you conquer the pomegranate this Rosh Hashanah: The easy (and un-messy) method for mining a pomegranate

Have ready a big bowl of water. Cut the fruit into quarters and submerge them. Peel them under water, and keep them in there as you comb through with your fingers to loosen the seeds. The skins and inedible pith will float to the surface (skim this away thoroughly, and discard), and the seeds will sink to the bottom. Strain, and you’ve got the goods.

Roasted Acorn Squash Rings with Pomegranate-Lime Glaze

Simple and sweet, these golden circles topped with the contrasting tart glaze will round out your dinner plate. Be careful slicing the squash. Use a very sharp paring knife, inserting the point first and using a gently sawing motion. The easiest way to remove the seeds is to cut loose the strand around them with scissors, and then scrape them away with a spoon.

You can make the glaze well ahead of time. It keeps indefinitely.

Ingredients:

Olive oil for the baking tray

2 medium-size acorn squash (about 3 pounds), skin on, and cut into 1/2-inch rings

Pomegranate-Lime Glaze (recipe follows)

1/4 cup pomegranate molasses

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (possibly more to taste)

Acorn squash directions:

1) Position a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking tray with foil, and coat it lightly with olive oil. (You can use one of the squash rings to spread it around.) Arrange the squash slices on the prepared tray, and place the tray in the oven.