Arugula Salad With Arils, Persimmons And POM Vinaigrette

Hazelnuts:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once or twice, until they smell nutty and are lightly browned. Remove from heat. When the nuts have cooled, coarse-chop them and toss them with 1 teaspoon hazelnut oil and a generous pinch of salt.

Vinaigrette:

Prepare fresh pomegranate juice, if necessary.* Place the diced shallot, pomegranate juice, both vinegars and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl, and let sit 5 minutes. Whisk in the olive oil and the remaining hazelnut oil. Taste for balance and seasoning.

Salad:

Prepare pomegranate arils, if necessary.** Reserve 1/3 cup of the arils from fruit and set aside. (Refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use.) In a large salad bowl, toss the persimmons, sliced shallots and pomegranate arils with the dressing. Season with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon. Gently toss in the arugula and taste for seasoning. Arrange the salad on a platter, and scatter the hazelnuts over the top. Serve this pomegranate recipe.

*To prepare fresh pomegranate juice, cut 2–3 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates in half and juice them with a citrus reamer or juicer. Pour the mixture through a cheesecloth-lined strainer or sieve. Set the juice aside.

**To prepare pomegranate arils, score 1 large POM Wonderful Pomegranate and place in a bowl of water. Break open the pomegranate under water to free the arils (seed sacs). The arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top. Sieve and put the arils in a separate bowl.