All recipes courtesy of Kosher.com

IT'S TU B'SHEVAT. The trees are bare; the air is frigid. Just like it was last year. And the year before. And yet, we celebrate the New Year for trees with a focus on cooking with vividly colored, succulent fruit. Because even when it’s dreary outside, we know that there’s a lot going on under the frozen surface. Seeds are sprouting, trees are taking root, and nutrients are seeping their way through the trunks into their delicious offshoots. This week, we celebrate the humble pomegranate seed.

Tip: The brighter the fruit or vegetable, the more nutrients it will have. Sometimes they lose their brightness when they’re cooked, and with it their nutrients as well.

Charred Eggplant Carpaccio

Usually, a carpaccio is made using raw meat or fish, but in this dish the eggplant is the star! This finely chopped charred eggplant carpaccio is not just a beautiful dish but also full of Mediterranean flavors. Topped with a lemony green s’chug and Heaven and Earth Date Syrup to add a surprising touch of sweetness!

SERVES 6

• 3 small eggplants

Green Lemony S’chug

• handful of cilantro leaves
• handful of parsley leaves
• handful of mint leaves
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 jalapeño pepper, cut into strips, seeds removed
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• juice from ½ lemon
• 1 tsp Heaven and Earth Date Syrup

Garnish

• 1 Tbsp Heaven and Earth Date Syrup
• 4–5 fresh mint leaves
• ¼ cup pomegranate arils
• pinch flaky salt
• extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Preheat the oven to high broil.

Put the eggplants on a baking sheet and score them with a knife. Roast the eggplants for about 30–35 minutes until the skin is darker and collapsing.

Meanwhile, put all the ingredients for the Green Lemony S’chug in a small food processor and process until the mixture is smooth.

On a cutting board, scoop out the filling of the eggplants with a spoon (throw out the skins). Using a knife, chop the eggplants until they’re slightly mashed. Using a fork, spread the eggplant mixture on a round plate and drizzle some of the s’chug on top.

Drizzle 1 Tbsp of date syrup and garnish with mint leaves, pomegranate arils, and flaky salt. Finish it with a drizzle of olive oil.

Flavorful Pomegranate-Glazed Salmon

This salmon is so delicious and beautiful. It makes for a showstopper family-style presentation!

SERVES 6

• 1 side of salmon, or 5–6 fillets
• Heaven & Earth Lemon Juice, to taste
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• 2 cubes Gefen Frozen Garlic
• 2 cubes Gefen Frozen Ginger
• ½ cup pomegranate molasses (recipe follows)

Pomegranate Molasses

• 1½ cups Heaven & Earth Pomegranate Juice, or other 100% pomegranate juice
• ½ cup sugar
• ⅓ cup Heaven & Earth Lemon Juice

Garnish

• pomegranate arils
• fresh lemon
• fresh mint

Prepare the pomegranate molasses: Boil the pomegranate juice, sugar, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Simmer on low for 45 minutes or until it reaches a syrupy consistency. Cool and keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one month.

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).

Lay the salmon on a baking sheet and smear with lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic, and ginger. Pour the pomegranate molasses on top. Bake for 15–20 minutes.

Top with pomegranate arils, lemon slices, and fresh mint.

Blood Orange Pomegranate Salad

My clarion call to friends and customers has always been the same: Eat seasonally. Our bodies need hydration in the summer and vitamin C in the winter, hence the best watermelons can be found in July and the peak season for citrus comes right around now, the lovely cold season, a.k.a. winter. It’s for this reason that I love this salad, which has the vitamin C of blood oranges and antioxidant fighting power of pomegranates.

SERVES 8

• 1 10-oz (280-g) bag mesclun salad mix
• 1 cup pomegranate arils
• 2 blood oranges, peeled and sliced

Dressing

• juice of 2 blood oranges
• 2 Tbsp plum wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp Gefen Honey
• ¼ tsp fine salt
• 2 Tbsp Bartenura Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Candied Pistachios

• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp water
• pinch salt
• ½ cup shelled pistachios

Prepare candied pistachios: Stir sugar, water, and salt in a bowl. Add pistachios and stir to coat. Spread on a baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes until nuts are crispy. When cool, crush and set aside.

Mix together all dressing ingredients. It should yield about 1 cup of dressing.

To serve, layer salad on a wide plate with the salad mix on the bottom, pomegranate and pistachios sprinkled on top, and the blood orange slices placed before serving. Drizzle the dressing in a zigzag pattern across the salad.

Tip: You can also do this with individual plates of salad on a smaller scale.

Za’atar Pomegranate Chicken

I combined some of my favorite flavors to create this delicious chicken. The best part about eating it is taking the cooked dates and smearing them over the chicken.

SERVES 8

• 1 whole chicken, cut into eighths
• 5 cloves garlic
• 3 Tbsp Gefen Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
• 2 Tbsp za’atar
• 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 sweet potato, chopped
• 6–10 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
• 6 Tbsp Jeunesse Cabernet Sauvignon, or other red wine
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• 2 Tbsp pomegranate syrup
• pomegranate seeds, for garnish

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) convection. If you don’t have convection, preheat to 400°F (200°C).

Mix together garlic, 2 Tbsp oil, za’atar, rosemary, and lemon zest. Coat chicken, making sure to go under the skin, and place on roasting pan.

Surround chicken with sweet potato and dates. Drizzle sweet potato with remaining oil and sprinkle entire dish with salt and pepper. Pour wine around the chicken.

Roast uncovered for 50 minutes, basting at the halfway point. Drizzle chicken with pomegranate syrup and return to the oven for another 10 minutes. Check for doneness with a meat thermometer. This chicken tastes best with the dates and sweet potato — try spreading the cooked dates onto your chicken prior to taking a bite.

Indulgent Chocolate Pomegranate Cake

This elegant chocolate cake is rich and delicious, and with its fruity pomegranate flavor, it’s perfect for Tu B’Shevat.

SERVES 12

• 3 eggs
• 1¾ cups sugar
• 1 cup Heaven & Earth Pomegranate Juice
• ½ cup oil
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups Glicks Flour
• ¾ cup Gefen Cocoa
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp espresso powder
• 1 cup hot water

Icing

• ¼ cup Gefen Cocoa
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 2–3 Tbsp Heaven & Earth Pomegranate Juice

Garnish

• pomegranate seeds
• fresh figs

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

Whisk together eggs, sugar, pomegranate juice, oil, and vanilla in a large bowl.

Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder. Add to wet ingredients. Fold in hot water. Pour into greased and floured Bundt pan.

Bake for 50–60 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and release from the pan.

Mix together icing ingredients and pour over cake. Decorate cake with fig segments and pomegranate seeds.

(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 877)