Photo: JOE M500/Flickr

The following contains two confessions, a disclosure and a post script.

Confession #1: I think pomegranate seeds are exquisite.
Confession #2: I rarely eat them. I like them very much in a salad, but I have never put them there myself.

Disclosure: A box from California recently landed on my desk with two bottles of juice and a note inside. POM Wonderful had sent PRK a pair of its pomegranate 100% juice blends–Pomegranate Nectarine and Pomegranate Kiwi–with an invitation to taste. Curious (see Confessions 1&2 above), I chilled the juices, tried them, and would now like to share the experience, along with a recipe and related link from one of our listeners.

The Pomegranate Nectarine juice was intense, highly flavorful and tangy. I had a ‘Wow’ moment. The Pomegranate Kiwi juice was a bit more mellow in comparison–less of an explosion in taste and texture, but only relatively speaking. It tasted somehow more grape-y, though I’d be hard put to explain why. Still curious, I began to search online for others who have tasted the juice and actually incorporated it into their cooking (though POM does that for you, if you like, offering recipe ideas on its website). Soon enough I came across Delicious Dishings, and Megan’s Arugula and Fennel Salad with an orange vinaigrette dressing she had created using POM’s 100% pomegranate juice as the departure ingredient. She incorporated pomegranate seeds and an apple, too, keeping this light salad high in antioxidants, adding texture and complimentary flavors.

If you’re curious, too, you can find POM juices at many of the major supermarket chains here in MA. Or, have you done this already? What do you do with pomegranate seeds and/or pomegranate juice?
***
Post script: I tried Via, Starbucks new instant coffee offering (see PRK post Sophisticated Sanka). I happened to be meeting my sister for coffee (we both had tea) at a Starbucks mid-point between her house and mine during the Oct. 2-5 free tasting campaign. It was the most easily-sipped instant coffee I have ever had. Not at all bitter. Even-flavored, actually. But it did lack the rich tasting ‘aaah’ you get from a brewed cup. Even if I were short on time? Short on cash? I’d have the real deal. You?