Pomegranate Salad

Originating in the Middle East, the ancient pomegranate fruit was featured in the Greek myth about the origin of Winter. When curious Persephone wandered into the underworld, her mother, Demeter, was beside herself with grief and demanded that the higher Gods retrieve her. Zeus petitioned Hades, God of the underworld, for her safe return.

But they discovered that Persephone had eaten pomegranate seeds while she was down there. Eating the food of the underworld caused her to be permanently bound there. So she made a bargain with Hades - for each seed she ate she would spend a month each year in the underworld. During her yearly visits to the underworld, the earth would become lifeless and barren. This was said to be the beginning of winter.

Pomegranates are not only beautiful, but scrumptious and healing. They are extremely rich in antioxidants and have been shown to protect against many common diseases including heart disease, prostate and breast cancer, and osteoarthritis. According to Paul Pitchford, in Healing With Whole Foods, they also “destroy worms in the intestinal tract.”

The seeds are the edible part of the pomegranate. The hard outer skin should not be eaten. Cut the fruit in half and peel away the skin, letting the seeds fall out into your bowl. Each little seed is bursting with delicious juice and nutrients!

Enjoy this life giving and nourishing breakfast!

Ingredients:

(use organic whenever possible)

large handful of baby salad greens

small handful of sprouts

1/2 pomegranate

1/2 grapefruit

1/4 cup crushed raw walnuts

Grade B maple syrup to taste

sea salt to taste

1. Place baby greens and sprouts in a salad bowl.
2. Cut pomegranate in half and pop out the seeds onto the greens.
3. Cut grapefruit in half, remove peel and chop flesh into bite sized pieces and add to salad.
4. Crush walnuts and sprinkle over the salad.
5. Dress with maple syrup and sprinkle with sea salt to taste.

serves 1